Jane and Amelia 1: A Cry for Help
by Firefall Bangenthump
Summary: Early in her career, Amelia's ship is diverted from its mission when it receives a distress signal from an embattled Imperial colony on a distant planet. Leading a landing party, Amelia encounters Jane Porter, the daughter of the colonial governor. As the siege continues, Amelia and Jane find more than friendship...and uncover a secret that could change the course of the war.
1. Chapter 1

The background to story may need some explanation. It starts following the events recounted in Amelia's memory sequences in my story _Coming to Terms_ and includes two characters from Disney's _Tarzan_, namely Archimedes and Jane Porter, as well as the relationship between Amelia and the latter referenced in another story called _Amelia's Past and Promotion_ as part of her backstory. If anyone was wondering where that came from, this is where, and if anyone opposes or dislikes the F/F nature of that relationship then you should consider yourself warned from this point onwards - though that said, I hope that the story stands up well enough even if you ignore the relationship thread.

Precisely where the unconventional pairing came from I don't know, but there are some short videos on YouTube (one by TheNamelessDoll in particular being worth a watch if only for some pretty spectacular visual editing) as well as some artwork on Deviantart (notably some daring pieces by Strawberryloveu, who deserves as much credit as anyone for the concept). I have to admit, despite not really liking crossovers, they're a very fun couple of characters to write for as well! All the usual caveats about ownership apply (ie, that it's pretty much all Disney), plus all praise to Ken Duncan, the animation genius behind both Jane and Amelia.

So, anyway. Here we go.

* * *

The astral rain was falling on the windows of the brightly lit officer's wardroom of the Royal Light Ship _Resolute_, leaving trails as the droplets ran into each other and merged. The big ship-of-the-line was ploughing through the haze of the Lagoon Nebula, leaving a swirling wake behind it. In the wardroom, Acting Lieutenant Amelia stood with her back to the windows, buffed the triangular gold patch on her hat with her sleeve and smiled at the way it caught the light. As a badge of office went, it wasn't bad, even if she had her doubts about the durability of the black rosette attached to it.  
"Have you ever seen anybody look as pleased with themselves as that?"  
Amelia looked up at Midshipman Buckley, who was grinning at her from the other corner of the wardroom, his feet up on the table. She rolled her eyes and grinned.  
"Of course I have, Buckley. I see you every day."  
"Ah, but I'm not the one who got the brevet promotion," Buckley wagged a toe at her. "Nor am I the one who saved the ship."  
"I'm sure the Captain will let you lead the next boarding party," said Amelia. "Or you could always volunteer."  
Buckley laughed. "Volunteer? I don't think so. Don't you know that's bad luck?"  
"I didn't know you were superstitious," Amelia said.  
The young man grinned. "Well, it's probably bad luck to volunteer for anything the Captain suggests. Isn't that so?"  
Amelia looked around as the wardroom door opened. Midshipman Dunn came in off watch, her long brown oilskin cape dripping on the floor. The orange stripy-furred feline took off her hat and shook the water off it.  
"Hmm? What was that?"  
"I said, it's bad luck to volunteer." Buckley tried to dodge the spray of droplets.  
"I'd certainly say it was back luck for whoever has to go on watch next," said Dunn. "This storm doesn't look like letting up any time soon."  
"I suppose that's me," Amelia sighed.  
"See?" said Buckley. "Bad luck."  
"That would be, 'bad luck, ma'am', thank you," Amelia tapped the rank insignia on her hat meaningfully. "Don't let the midshipman's collar fool you."  
"Sorry. Bad luck, ma'am." Buckley threw her a salute. Dunn was drawing a hot coffee from the samovar kept in the corner of the room. She turned and handed it to Amelia as she passed.  
"You'll be glad of it," Dunn grinned. "And don't say I didn't warn you."  
Amelia smiled and took a mouthful before handing it back. "I won't, Dunn. I promise."  
She closed the wardroom door behind her and stopped briefly by her small cabin- barely large enough for her bed to hang from the wall- to collect her own oilskin. Donning it and pulling it tight, she proceeded out of the officers' quarters and into the wind and rain. She wedged her hat firmly on her head- one of the benefits of a lieutenancy, even a brevet one, was that the officer's cocked hat was worn fore-and-aft instead of sideways, much to the benefit of anyone born with feline ears. The ship was sailing through a nebula and the drifting clouds hid the stars. Amelia squinted up into the ship's rigging, shielding her eyes from the squall, to check the sails before reaching the bridge.  
"Acting Lieutenant Amelia reporting, sir."  
Commander Chad, who was standing by the wheel, nodded to her.  
"Good to see you, Lieutenant."  
He was smiling as he said it. Amphibian that he was, the soaking rain didn't seem to be bothering him at all and he seemed to be wearing his heavy oilskin mainly to keep his uniform dry. Amelia stepped beside the Benbonian and took up the accepted officer's stance, feet a shoulder's width apart, hands folded behind her back.  
"Congratulations on your promotion, by the way," said Chad.  
"It's an honour, sir."  
"And one well-deserved." Chad looked up at the dripping sails. "That was a daring piece of spacemanship."  
Amelia nodded modestly. "I only hope I can fill Lieutenant Spicer's place satisfactorily, sir."  
"Spicer was a good officer," Chad agreed. "This is not the easiest of callings to follow."  
"Indeed not, sir."  
"But nor is it without reward." Chad smiled. "You are aware, are you not, of the rules of brevet lieutenancies?"  
"Sir? I don't follow."  
"Well, should you survive this patrol and should Captain Forsythe approve upon our return, your promotion will be made permanent. No need to take that damned exam." Chad looked sideways at her. "And believe me, Ms Amelia, you should be glad of it should it happen. No action has ever intimidated me as much as standing before the examination board!"  
Amelia laughed. "I hope I will only have to take your word on it, sir."  
Chad looked up again. "I don't like running so much sail in weather like this. We'll reef in the topgallants, Ms Amelia, if you please."  
"Aye, Commander." Amelia stepped to the bridge rail and raised her voice. "Second division! Reef topgallants!"  
Spacers scrambled up the rigging, braving the gusts of rain. The shell-shaped sails began retracting as they hauled in the lines  
"Make them fast to the uprights, there!" Amelia called. She turned to Chad and touched her hat. "Topgallants reefed, sir."  
"Very good." Chad agreed. "Better safe than sorry, in these conditions. I recall a storm we ran into once, just after I joined _Resolute_ as a lieutenant. We ran before it for three days before- hold on, what's this?"  
A light was blinking on the bridge console. Amelia glanced at it. "Long-range communication, sir. Coming in over the ethernet."  
"Get to the communications room, lieutenant. See what it's about." Chad's face was serious.  
"Yes, sir." Amelia left the bridge, secretly glad of the excuse to get out of the rain. Chad didn't seem to mind it but felines were made for different things. She opened the door to the small communications cabin and nodded to the spacer on duty in front of the humming bank of equipment.  
"As you were," she said. "There's a message being received?"  
"Yes, ma'am. On the low-band aethernet. Maximum priority. I think it's a distress call."  
Amelia's blood ran cold. "A ship in distress? Is it one of ours?"  
"No, ma'am, it's not a ship." The spacer touched a hand to his earphones and adjusted the controls on the desk. "According to the origin code, it's a planet."  
"A planet? Which one?"  
"Naztar, ma'am."  
Amelia blinked in surprise. "Can you get a picture?"  
The spacer flipped a switch and a brass circle about the size of a dinner plate lowered itself in front of Amelia. It looked like a bubble was held between it, a shimmer not-quite-there layer. It dissolved into static and flickered once or twice before a picture developed. A young woman, probably about Amelia's age, dressed in yellow and with a mass of brown hair.  
"...-orter, calling from the settlement Naztarville. We are under attack, I say again, we are under attack. We call for assistance. If there are any ships within range of my voice, we need help. We are citizens of the Empire. I say again, this is Jane Porter, calling from the settlement..."  
The transmission fuzzed out again. The crewman cursed under his breath and struggled with the equipment. The picture and sound returned for a moment and Amelia caught a few half-formed words, almost inaudible, and a background suddenly filled with gunfire. Then the signal cut out and the shimmering screen returned. She looked down at the crewman, who tried a few more controls and then sat back in defeat.  
"Signal lost, ma'am. I'm sorry."  
"Can we reply?"  
"One-way signal only, ma'am. The band has gone dead."  
"Did you get it on record?"  
"Yes, ma'am."  
"Very good." Amelia left and returned to the bridge. If anything, the storm had become worse. A small waterfall was forming at the back of her cocked hat as the water ran off it.  
"Commander Chad, sir!"  
"Ah, Ms Amelia. Glad you made it back." Chad grinned. "What news from the void?"  
"An emergency transmission, sir. A distress signal. The Naztarville colony. It's under attack. They call for assistance."  
Chad's face grew grim. "Did they say who they were?"  
"Yes, sir."  
"Blasted civilians...if that was an open transmission, half the galaxy could have heard them calling. The last thing they'll be needing is to attract the attention of the Confederacy."  
Amelia nodded at the name of the loose affiliation of pirate groups that the Royal Navy was attempting to clear out of the Lagoon Nebula. "Perhaps it's them doing the attacking, sir."  
"One can only hope," said Chad. "In a roundabout fashion. Very well. I'll inform the Captain. The bridge is yours, lieutenant."  
"Aye, sir." Amelia stepped over to the bridge console and called up a star chart. The holographic projection hovered brightly in front of her, the sharp green lines broken by the falling rain. Naztar was about two days' fast sailing from their current position. Just as importantly, perhaps, if the information on the map was up to date, it would also take them well clear of the storm. Amelia smiled and looked up, standing back at attention from the console as Chad returned with Captain Forsythe. The old man's ornate hat was sitting atop the hood of his raincoat and the few white curls of his wig were already plastered to his lined face.  
"Good evening, Captain," she said politely.  
"Lieutenant." Forsythe acknowledged her. "Mr Chad has informed me of the situation already. A distress call."  
"We have the message on record, sir, if you wish."  
Forsythe nodded curtly. Amelia touched a control on the console and the projection changed from the star chart to the distress call. Forsythe listened closely, despite the hissing rain. Perhaps it was the noisy distraction, or perhaps it was because she already heard it, but Amelia found herself paying more attention to the speaker than the message, despite the fact that her image was constantly having flickering holes punched in it by raindrops.  
"Didn't leave us much choice, did they," Forsythe grunted. "Hah! 'Citizens of the Empire', as if that was some kind of protection by itself these days. Do they even know there's a war on?"  
"Probably not, sir," said Chad. "I've heard of the colony on Naztar. It's only been there a matter of months. It's a jungle planet. Totally undeveloped. It hasn't even officially acceded to the Empire yet. The Confederacy would doubtless have looted it already if it had anything worth keeping. There's no industry there, nothing valuable. Just a few farmers and families."  
"It would seem that they have some uninvited company," said Forsythe. "Very well. Ms Amelia, set a new course. To Naztar, at best speed."  
"Aye, Captain!" She recalled the star charts and made a quick mental calculation. "Helm, come to port, three three zero, negative ten. Steady as she goes."  
"Three three zero, negative ten, aye, ma'am. Steady as she goes it is." The Petty Officer at the helm span the wheel.  
Forsythe grimaced approvingly as the ship began to turn and looked up at the masts. "We appear to have reefed topgallants," he remarked.  
"My decision, sir," said Chad. "In view of the rain."  
"How much speed have we lost?" Forsythe frowned.  
Amelia checked the instruments. "No more than ten percent, Captain."  
"Very good, then. Proceed."  
"Yes, sir." Chad and Amelia saluted as Forsythe swept past them and disappeared. The Commander stepped over next to Amelia and smiled wryly.  
"An unexpected diversion," he commented.  
"Yes, sir."  
"But hopefully not too much of an inconvenience."  
"Yes, sir." Amelia smiled to herself. Perhaps it was the prospect of seeing action again, but there was a part of her that was looking forward to whatever there was to be discovered on the planet Naztar.

* * *

As soon as the _Resolute_ was clear of the storm, Forsythe insisted that they raise as much sail as possible. Despite his grumbling, Amelia had the sense that the Captain was as eager as herself to reach the colony. He had posted an extra crewmember in the communications room and ordered the ethernet scanned for any further transmissions from the planet, but all their efforts had met nothing but silence. So it was almost with a sense of relief that Amelia was able to look over the ship's side to see the planet Naztar rotating beneath them. The emerald of the jungles was a brilliant contrast to the azure blue seas and the spotless white clouds. Buckley joined her in looking down. He whistled appreciatively.  
"Looks nice," he remarked.  
"Quiet there!" snapped Forsythe, who was stalking the bridge behind the young officers.  
"Sorry, sir," Buckley stood to attention.  
"Don't be sorry, be quiet, damn you," Forsythe glared and turned away from them. Buckley and Amelia shared a long-suffering look. Midshipman Whiting, a young canid, standing nearby, grinned.  
"Do you hear anything, Mr Chad? Ms Dunn?"  
The two other officers were wearing headphones plugged into the bridge console. Chad shook his head.  
"Nothing, sir. No transmissions."  
"When will we be over the colony?"  
"Approximately thirty standard minutes, sir," said Lieutenant Costell, the ship's third officer.  
"Very good. Mr Buckley, stand by on opticals."  
"Yes, sir." Buckley moved next to a bronze stand with a viewing visor set into it. He adjusted a couple of controls on the column and put his face to the visor, seeing the view of the planet as it was seen from the ship's powerful telescopes.  
"And keep an eye on the sky for any visitors," Forsythe went on. "We don't know who is behind this, ladies and gentlemen. I want no risks to be run!"  
"Aye, sir." Chad nodded to the senior petty officer. "Mr Bryce, post two extra lookouts in the tops."  
"Where are they, damn them," Forsythe growled, turning back across the bridge. "Well, we might as well make use of the time. Mr Arrow?"  
The tall red-coated man snapped to attention. "Sir?"  
"Prepare a landing party. Take two longboats. One division of spacers and a platoon of your Marines. You have my permission to draw on the ship's stores for equipment and provisions."  
"Aye, Captain." Arrow saluted and left the bridge, calling out orders. "Sergeant Sackett! Summon your platoon to the main deck!"  
"And a Fleet officer to lead the party and to take my warm compliments to the colonial authorities," Forsythe smiled grimly. "Any volunteers?"  
Dunn and Chad were suddenly very intent in their listening. Buckley grinned and buried his head in the optical viewer. Forsythe turned to Amelia.  
"Ms Amelia?"  
"Yes, sir?"  
"The honour falls to you, then. You will command the landing party. And Mr Whiting, would you like to act as second-in-command?"  
Whiting hesitated and then stood to attention and saluted.  
"Yes, sir!"  
"Good hunting."  
"Thank you, sir." Amelia saluted and cast a cheery grin at Buckley, who rolled his eyes. "Permission to pack our kit, sir?"  
"Granted, granted." Forsythe waved a hand.  
Amelia and Whiting left the bridge. Arrow, who was piling up equipment beside the longboats, smiled as he saw her passing.  
"So you'll be coming with us, ma'am?"  
"So it seems, Mr Arrow." Amelia stopped and smiled back.  
Arrow touched his hat. "It'll be an honour to serve under your command again, ma'am."  
"Thank you, Mr Arrow." Amelia bowed her head modestly. "I will return presently."  
She went to her cabin, hauled her duffel bag out from under the bed and began packing it with clothing and equipment. She took her sword belt down from the wall and buckled it around her waist, adjusting the ride of the scabbard on her hips. Her hand closed around the butt of her sidearm and she stowed it in her belt as well. Hoisting her bag over her shoulder, she cast a last look around the homely little cabin and locked the door behind her. By the time she returned to the deck the ship had crossed over to the night side of Naztar and the crew were working to lamplight. Arrow had already got the longboats swung out over the side. They were piled high with stores and armed soldiers and spacers. Arrow had kept a space free for her in the back of the first boat and he helped her aboard.  
"Are you ready to depart, Ms Amelia?" shouted Forsythe from the bridge.  
Amelia glanced at Arrow, who nodded.  
"Yes, sir!"  
"Very good! You may depart when ready."  
"Thank you, sir!" Amelia turned to her crew. "You heard the Captain! Lower away there!"  
Spacers began hauling on the ropes holding the longboats, lowering them away from the ship. Amelia watched the view appreciatively, the _Resolute_'s curving white, blue and gold hull hiding dozens of gunports seeming to stretch out in front of them. Then they were below it, looking up at the enormous flat underside of the big ship and with the planet spread out beneath them.  
"Let go the lines!"  
The crew released the ropes and the longboat was floating free. Arrow yanked the cord to open the longboat's solar sail and the engines whirred into life. Amelia took the controls and watched the navigator screen flicker into life, describing a course to the colony below. She turned her head and saw Whiting's boat following close behind. The bulk of the _Resolute_ was quickly out of sight as the swift-moving craft cut through Naztar's atmosphere. Amelia shielded her eyes as they sliced through a layer of thick cloud, which left behind a layer of water droplets that began soaking into her uniform.  
"Permission to speak, ma'am?" said Arrow.  
"Freely granted," Amelia replied.  
"I recommend against landing in the colony, ma'am. If it's still under siege, we would be making ourselves the target. I suggest making landfall nearby. We can fly the boats in later if it is safe."  
"Good idea," said Amelia. She looked at the map. "It looks like there's a river running southwest past Naztarville, just a few hundred yards away. We'll be able to avoid the trees while flying low enough to hide behind them."  
"An excellent idea, ma'am." Arrow held his hat on his head as winds threatened to sweep it away. Amelia smiled and guided the longboat down towards the darkened surface of the planet. The solar sail was drawing the last of the energy from the night, but it was clear that fancy flying was not going to be an option. At least they wouldn't have to fear their engine flares being spotted by anyone. The turbine behind her whined and cut out as the power failed and the boat began descending on inertia and anti-grav alone. Watching the numbers flashing on the map, she made a careful turn to starboard and increased the vertical descent. Looking over the side, she could see the river- a meandering band of even deeper blackness against the jungle, but as the boat neared it the moon burst through the clouds and the smooth surface suddenly shone silver. It wasn't the secret arrival that Amelia had hoped for, but she was privately grateful for the new light and the solar sail managed to deliver a small increase in power, making the engine hum as it powered up again. She throttled back and brought the longboat to a halt a few feet above the riverbank. A splash behind her indicated that Whiting had brought his boat in as well, albeit somewhat lower.  
"Disembark," Amelia ordered quietly. "Disembark and stay with the boats. Mr Arrow, pick four men and come with me. We'll go and make contact with the colony. Mr Whiting, you're in charge here until we return. Make camp here tonight and prepare to move out at first light tomorrow."  
"Yes, ma'am." Whiting saluted. "Good luck."  
Amelia dropped onto the riverbank neatly and strode to the edge of the forest through a narrow field of waist-high grass. Arrow joined her with four Marines in tow.  
"Stick together," Amelia hissed. "And move carefully. Watch underfoot."  
They set off into the jungle. Amelia flipped open her compass and read the luminous dial to get her bearings. The going was not easy in the dark and, after a while, she had the distinct feeling that they were being watched. She raised a hand to signal a halt. Arrow and the soldiers responded instantly, but Amelia's keen ears heard a sound that went on for longer than it should have done.  
"Did you hear that?" she whispered to Arrow. He nodded.  
"Off to the right, ma'am. Not too far away."  
Amelia scanned the trees. "Can't see a thing, damn it. Keep your eyes peeled."  
She signalled to continue, but kept her other hand on the butt of her pistol. Her eyes constantly glanced off to the right, straining to catch a flicker of movement. Every now and then she thought she saw something. Then she heard a clatter of wood and a low voice said something she couldn't quite hear. She waved to her squad.  
"Down!"  
She dropped to the ground. Arrow was close behind her and she heard a series of soft whines as the Marines charged their rifles. Amelia drew her sword- not her favourite weapon, but one with the benefit of silence. She crept forwards and took cover behind a tree. She looked around it. The ground sloped away towards a narrow defile. Running water could be heard and she guessed it was a tributary of the river they had landed near. A few figures were gathered near the edge a little way off, but one of them had wandered off and was only a few feet away. Amelia narrowed her eyes and gripped her sword tight. She looked back to Arrow and signalled him to move forward. As the Marines crept through the undergrowth, Amelia stood and braced herself. The figure was moving steadily closer. It was now or never.  
"Drop your weapons!" Amelia's shout broke the silence in the jungle. She leapt out from behind the tree and was on the figure in a heartbeat. To her surprise, it didn't put up a fight at all, but cried out and fell back into a bed of ferns, Amelia still on top of it. There were shouts from further up the stream as the others noticed. Lamplight flashed around the jungle, illuminating Arrow's bulk as he raised himself, rifle levelled. There were shouts and the click and whine of other laslock weapons being loaded. The Marines burst out of the trees, yelling and gesturing with bayonets fixed.  
"I said drop your weapons!" Amelia's lips were drawn back into a snarl and she raised her sword, the tip of it poised beneath her quarry's chin.  
"Don't! We surrender! Please!"  
The voice caught her by surprise. It wasn't like any pirate she had ever heard. In fact it was oddly familiar. And the body beneath her was slender, and softer and warmer than Amelia had been anticipating. A beam of light fell across her and she realised that she was holding at swordpoint the young woman from the transmission. Her brown hair was a mess and her blue eyes were wide. Her features would have been striking indeed, had they not been drawn into a look of terror. The poor girl was so scared that she didn't even look at the blade at her throat. Her eyes looked nowhere except at Amelia.  
"Who are you?" Amelia demanded.  
"Jane...Jane Porter. Of Naztarville. I'm unarmed." The girl stammered, staring into Amelia's eyes. "Who...who are you?"  
Amelia breathed a sigh of relief and smiled knowingly. "Your salvation, if I'm not terribly mistaken. We received your message a couple of days ago and arrived to assist. Amelia, Acting Lieutenant, Her Imperial Majesty's Royal Light Ship _Resolute_."  
"You're...Navy?" The figure holding the lamp stepped forward. It was a man in civilian clothes, wearing a questionable fur hat, a rifle in his other hand.  
"Indeed we are." Amelia grinned. Then she realised that she was still on top of Jane and, quite literally more to the point, was still holding a sword at her neck. She coughed, stood up and sheathed it, extending a gloved hand to help the other young woman to her feet. She took it gratefully and began brushing down her yellow shirt.  
"Then thank the stars for you," said the man sincerely.  
"We didn't know whether anyone had heard our signal," said Jane. "The aethernet is faulty...it was difficult to make it work at all."  
"We picked it up a couple of days ago," said Amelia.  
"We?" Jane looked past Amelia to Arrow and the others. "How many of you are there?"  
"Fifty four. Spacers and soldiers. I'm in command. This is Captain Arrow, by the way, of the Royal Marines."  
The big Cragorian stepped forward and bowed politely. "Ms. Porter."  
"Uh...my pleasure." Jane seemed somewhat uncertain about the looming figure. "And, um, this is Bock. He's in charge of our militia." Jane waved to the man with the rifle, who stepped forward and nervously offered Arrow a hand that seemed suddenly very small.  
"You have a militia?" Amelia raised an eyebrow.  
"Well, that might be overstating things a little," admitted Bock. "What we have is me and few fellows with mismatched laslocks."  
"How many?"  
Jane and Bock looked down at the ground. Jane bit her lip.  
"Not...quite as many as we had when the attacks began. There's not even a score of us left."  
"And the civilians?"  
"There's only my father and I left," said Jane. She looked around again. "But I thought you said there were fifty of you?"  
Amelia nodded. "We landed by the river. Two longboats. The rest of us are back there. We needed to be sure that it was safe to approach. It is safe, I take it, since you're out here?"  
Jane smiled. "Oh, yes. The enemy don't seem to come around this side of the town at night, so we come out to replenish our water supply." She waved at a pile of buckets and barrels stacked up by the stream. "Luckily, they don't appear to have figured that out yet."  
"Indeed." Amelia made a mental note. "Would it be possible to move my boats to the colony at dawn tomorrow?"  
"I'm sorry?"  
Amelia sighed. "Mr Bock, if two Navy longboats suddenly fly overhead, are your militia likely to take any pot-shots at them?"  
"They'd probably be too busy staring," said Bock. "But the town's not far by foot. If you're by the river it'll take longer to get back there than for us to get to Naztarville. We'll let them know you're coming."  
"If it's all the same to you, I'd rather come with you." Amelia turned her head and nodded to her party. "Mr Arrow? Pick two men, send them back to the boats with my compliments to tell Mr Whiting he can proceed to the colony as soon as there's enough sun to charge the sails."  
"Yes, ma'am. You two! Back to the boats!"  
"You and the other two will come with us." Amelia hitched up her sword belt and smiled at Jane. "So long as you don't mind having an escort, Ms Porter?"  
"Oh, not at all, not at all!" Jane smiled back. "It's very kind of you."  
Amelia touched her hat. "I'm quite something. Now, about this water?"

* * *

The small group tramped back through the jungle. Every two men carried a long pole between them, suspended from which were filled barrels or buckets. The exception was Arrow, who had one over each shoulder, much to the awe of the Bock and his colleagues. Jane and Amelia were each carrying a canister as they walked ahead of the group, Amelia bowing to local knowledge to let Jane lead the way.  
"My father's going to be so glad to see you," said Jane. "Everybody will. But especially him."  
"How so?"  
"Well," Jane looked a bit embarrassed. "He's...he's the colony's governor, to tell you the truth. But I don't like to wave that around."  
"How long have you been under attack?"  
"The trouble only really started a couple of weeks ago," Jane stepped around a twisted root that stuck out of the ground. "Watch your step there. At first it wasn't too serious. But it got worse and worse. So bad that my father ordered most of the other people to evacuate. Women and children first, of course. They took our only ship and left. We haven't heard anything from them since. And the tribes are using proper weapons now, too. Laslock weapons, I mean. We've never seen them use anything better than bows and arrows before."

"Have you had problems with the locals for a while?"

"A little, at first. But then we sort of got used to each other. Oh, there was the odd bit of cattle-rustling, but nothing, you know, dangerous. Sometimes we'd even trade with them. But then suddenly they just disappeared. We thought they'd left, but then the attacks started."  
"Did they steal the laslocks from you?" Amelia stepped around the root and indicated it to Arrow, who was following behind them.  
"That's the funny thing. They're not ours. We don't know who they got them from."  
Amelia raised an eyebrow. "You think somebody gave it to them?"  
"How else could it have happened? But I can't imagine why. Nothing important is happening out here."  
Amelia laughed. Jane looked puzzled. Amelia's amusement died away quickly and she stared in surprise.  
"You...really don't know, do you?"  
"Know what?"  
"The Lagoon Nebula pirates?"  
"They don't bother us here. We've got nothing worth their time anyway."  
"The Empire disagreed. The Fleet's been mobilised. My ship is part of a task group clearing the nebula out. We were on patrol when we got your message."  
It was Jane's turn to look shocked. "You think it could be pirates?"  
Amelia shrugged. "Who knows?"  
Jane was quiet for a long moment. "I've heard about pirates...what they can do. You hear all the stories."  
Amelia gave her a sympathetic look and decided that a white lie was appropriate. "That's all most of them are, Miss Porter. Just stories."  
It didn't work. Jane looked even more downcast. "Even so...the thought of that happening here..."  
"It won't," Amelia cut her off. "It won't. Not now that we're here. The Navy won't permit it."  
She looked at Jane's face and reached out a white-gloved hand to place it on her shoulder reassuringly. "I won't permit it."  
"You?" Jane looked up hopefully.  
Amelia shrugged. "I don't want to have to report a failure to my Captain. I...don't take well to letting people down."  
Jane smiled and looked over to her. "I'm sure you won't, lieutenant."  
For some reason, Amelia was suddenly glad of the darkness of the night. She shifted the strap of the canister over her shoulder and raised her eyes.  
"So, um...how far is it to the colony?"  
"Oh, not far at all." Jane pointed up to a gap in the tree canopy, through which could be seen glowing clouds. The party emerged into a clear area where the grass was only knee-high. Amelia could see the walls of a stockade ahead of them, taller even than Arrow, made of cut-down tree stumps hammered vertically into the ground. Jane motioned her to stop, and Bock stepped forward to flash a signal from his lamp. The signal was repeated by someone up on the wall, and a gate creaked open.  
"Well. Here we are, then," Jane smiled with satisfaction and set off. Amelia waited until Arrow drew level with her and walked alongside him, nodding towards the wall.  
"Impressively done, wouldn't you say?"  
"I still prefer the wooden walls of a ship," Arrow remarked. "But it's better than nothing. It will certainly make our task easier."  
They stepped into the stockade and began unloading their water. Jane dropped her canister and brushed a lock of brown hair out of her eyes.  
"With respects, Miss Jane, the governor asks that you see him," said one of the gate guards, picking up the water himself. "And...blimey..."  
The man had noticed Arrow and Amelia and stared in amazement.  
"Yes, thank you, Parol," said Jane. "Does he want to see me immediately?"  
"Um, I think that was the intention," said Parol.  
Jane sighed. "Well, no time like the present," she said. "Lieutenant? Captain? Would you like to come with me?"  
"Thank you, yes," Amelia indicated the two Marines. "You two, find a suitable landing area for the boats."  
"Yes, ma'am!"  
Amelia smiled to Arrow. "Well, my friend, shall we go and meet the natives?"  
Arrow grinned. "With pleasure, ma'am."  
They followed Jane through the darkened town, their uniforms getting them more than a few glances of surprise. Amelia sensed that the path had turned uphill as they moved towards the only stone building they had yet seen. A golden light shone from its windows and the occasional sound of music could be heard. Arrow took off his backpack and rested it against the side of the building as Jane knocked on the door and raised her voice.  
"It's me, father!"  
She turned the handle and motioned them to come with her. Amelia took off her hat, partly out of respect and partly because the doorframe was too low to let her pass under while wearing it. Inside the stone hall a fire was burning in the grate, a gramophone was playing an archaic record and a small man was sitting at a desk.  
"I said, it's me, father," Jane repeated. "We're back from getting the water. And...there are some people you should meet."  
"Hmm? Ah, Jane, you've returned. I'm glad to see you." The figure looked up. It was a small man, probably not as old as he looked, whose mouth was hidden by the almost-comically oversized walrus moustache he wore. A gold chain rested around his shoulders, glowing red in the firelight. A quick pair of eyes bestowed a caring gaze on his daughter before they spotted Amelia and widened in surprise. "Great Scott..."  
"Allow me to introduce...um..." Jane looked appealingly to Amelia, who took pity on her and stepped foward.  
"Amelia, Acting Lieutenant, RLS _Resolute_." She put her hat on again and touched the side of it in salute. "We received your message and answered the call."  
There was a prolonged scraping sound as Arrow squeezed himself sideways through the door. He put his hat on again and dusted down his uniform, although he had the decency to look a bit embarrassed when he realised that everyone was staring at him. Amelia coughed to break the silence.  
"And this is Captain Arrow of the Marines. I have two longboats of supplies and reinforcements with me, waiting for daylight to take off and meet us. And my Captain sends his regards to you, your excellency, on behalf of the Fleet."  
"My excellency?" The old man chuckled cheerily. "I'm afraid you've been misinformed there, what, doubtless by my kind-hearted daughter! There's not much excellence going on these days."  
"You are the governor, are you not?" Amelia frowned.  
"Oh, yes. Well, by default, I suppose. But we don't stand on ceremony around here." The man got up and went to shake Amelia's hand. Amelia found herself having to bend down to reach his. "People generally just call me Archie. Short for Archimedes, don'tcherknow."  
"Governor Archimedes." Amelia wasn't sure what she had been expecting, but this wasn't it. She cast a sideways glance to Jane, who gave her a friendly smile. Aside from the apparently natural disposition to cheeriness, it was hard to see how she and the governor could possibly be related.  
"You say you answered my daughter's call, then?" Archimedes said.  
"Yes, sir. We arrived as soon as possible."  
"And in good time too, I say!" Archimedes pumped her hand again and released it. "Another good idea of yours, Jane, to send that message."  
"Thank you, father." She smiled.  
"And you say you only just arrived?"  
"Yes, sir." Amelia tried to get some life back into her hand. The little man had a surprisingly strong grip.  
"I did see a star moving against the sky tonight, just before the clouds closed it," said Archimedes. "That must have been your ship, I suppose. There have been so many stars moving recently, though, so it's hard to tell. You must be tired after racing all the way out here just for us. Can I get you some tea? I'm afraid the coffee ran out a week ago, but tea is a much more civilised drink, wouldn't you say, eh?"  
"Um, yes, your excellency?" Amelia hazarded.  
"Ah, an officer and a gentleman!" Archimedes beamed. "Well, an officer, anyway. Glad to have you with us. I'm sure we can make you comfortable."  
"Thank you, sir," Amelia said. "If you can excuse me, however, I need to be sure that there is a suitable landing area for my boats. They should arrive at first light tomorrow."  
Archimedes smiled. Or at least his moustache changed shape. "Oh, jolly good! Can I come and see?"  
Amelia tried not to look surprised. "I imagine, governor, that you can do as you please. Mr Arrow?"  
"Yes, ma'am?" Arrow stood to attention.  
"Let's go and guide Mr Whiting in."  
"Yes, ma'am. May I suggest that you take Miss Porter and his excellency out first, and I shall bring up the rear?"  
Amelia grinned, knowing that Arrow was not keen on passing through that doorway again and did not wish to slow her down. "Sterling notion, Mr Arrow."  
She followed Jane and Archimedes outside and down the path into the little town. It seemed to be no more than a collection of huts assembled apparently at random within the confines of the wooden stockade, but there was a large open area on the northern side. Amelia paced it out and nodded in satisfaction.  
"This should do nicely. Don't you think, Mr Arrow?"  
Arrow, who had lost a piece of epaulette on the doorframe, grunted and nodded. Amelia gave him a sympathetic smile and turned to Archimedes.  
"With your permission, your excellency, we'll land the boats here and set up an encampment."  
"Oh, permission granted, granted indeed." Archimedes waved a hand. "The old town square might as well be useful for something. Now, you'll be needing somewhere to stay tonight. There is room at the town hall if you wish to stay in there."  
Arrow made a sound like a nascent landslide. "With respect, governor, I would prefer to establish my tent out here."  
Amelia chuckled. Archimedes shrugged cheerfully.  
"Well, fair enough, fair enough, I say. Why not, after all. And you, lieutenant, as a woman you must have somewhere especially suitable. I believe there is a spare bed at my daughter's, isn't that right, Jane?"  
"Um, yes, father, but-" Jane began.  
"Splendid! All settled then!" Archimedes rubbed his hands together. "I'll see you all in the morning, then."  
He turned, almost bumped into Arrow, and bustled off into the night. Amelia watched him go and turned to Jane with an enquiring look on her face. Jane sighed.  
"He's a good man. A very decent...sweet old man. Sometimes I'm not sure he realises just how bad the situation is."  
"I understand." Amelia said reassuringly. "But we're here now. So it can't be all that bad."  
"No. No, it's not any more." Jane smiled and for some reason Amelia found herself smiling back. "Anyway. Come with me."  
"Will you be all right here, Mr Arrow?"  
"Yes, ma'am. Certainly better out here than stuck in a doorway all night."  
Amelia laughed. "Well. I'll see you in the morning, then. First light, remember."  
"First light it is, ma'am." Arrow smiled and touched his hat. Amelia returned the salute and set off after Jane.  
"So what is it you actually do here?" asked Amelia, following her through the town.  
"Well, I'm a veterinarian by training," said Jane. "Father asked me to join the colony to tend to the livestock. There was going to be farming, you see. But we lost some of the herd to theft, and once the attacks began...well, we lost the rest rather quickly. So now I suppose I'm the closest thing we have to a doctor."  
"Ah...and how have you been managing?"  
Jane looked down. "Better than I was at first...but to tell you the truth...I'm not sure that I'll ever get used to it. I've seen people hurt...die...it comes as a bit of a shock. Especially when you know...used to know them. I mean, it probably doesn't to you, of course."  
"That depends on who it is," Amelia said quietly. "I apologise, Miss Porter. I shouldn't have asked that."  
"Oh, no, it's quite all right." Jane smiled bravely.  
Amelia put her head on one side and smiled back. It was hard not to warm to Jane. She was such a naturally bright soul, so lively, that it was easy to forget that this little community had been through hell in the recent past. Amelia couldn't help but be impressed at the way she must have risen to the occasion.  
"Here we are," she said. "This is sort of the infirmary now. It's not much...but I did what I could, and some of the other women lent a hand before they were evacuated."  
Jane pushed open a door, ushering Amelia through into a small house. There were only three rooms, one larger central one with two smaller ones off to the side. The central room had a desk in it, three beds so close together they were almost touching, a stainless steel refrigeration unit, and nothing else. A fourth and fifth bed were in the side room to the left. Jane closed the door behind her and looked around apologetically.  
"I'm sorry, it's really not very much...my room is this one here on the right, but you're welcome to any of these. I don't know what we'll do if I get too many patients, though. I'm sure father can arrange somewhere else for you if this doesn't suit. Or you could even sleep in my bed."  
Amelia raised an eyebrow. Jane turned pink.  
"I mean...while I stay with father in the town hall."  
"That's very kind of you, Miss Porter." Amelia smiled. Jane's blush diminished slightly and she gave Amelia a small smile in return.  
"Please, lieutenant, as my father said, we don't stand on formalities here. Especially if we're going to be in close quarters together for a while. My name is Jane."  
"In which case, mine is Amelia," replied Amelia, taking off her hat and tucking it under her arm.  
"Amelia." Jane said the name almost softly. "Well. Goodnight, then, Amelia."  
"And the same to you, Jane."  
Amelia watched her step into the adjoining bedroom, and saw a last flash of her blue eyes as she closed the door behind her. Alone, she turned off the light and blinked until her night vision started working. She selected the bed at the end of the room by the desk, hung her hat on the frame along with the black cravat from her collar and carefully draped her sword belt nearby, ensuring that the handgun was kept within easy reach. She sat on the mattress, which compared rather favourably to the one she was used to back on the ship, and began unbuckling her shoes. It wasn't until she had almost removed the second one that something which had been preying on her mind finally used its teeth. It had been easily overlooked in Archimedes' effusive greeting, but it was there, and Amelia couldn't ignore it.  
"There have been so many stars moving recently", he had said. That could only mean ships in orbit. But, aside from _Resolute_, who else had been here? And what had they come for?


	2. Chapter 2

Jane awoke the next morning feeling oddly refreshed. She stretched and yawned and lay for a moment contemplating the first light falling through the window. The sounds of a new day were beginning to filter through and she swung her feet out of the bed. Remembering the night before, she strained her ears to see if her neighbour was still there. But all was quiet next door. She dressed quietly and pushed the door open, peeking around cautiously. The infirmary was empty and Jane had to look closely to see which of the beds had been slept in, so neat had Amelia been in remaking it. Secretly rather impressed, she stepped out of the building and looked around. High above her, mounted atop a slender, skeletal steel tower that dominated the town, a pair of rectangular solar sails unfurled and began sparkling in the sun.  
She grew aware of new sounds, ones unfamiliar to her despite her familiarity with the usual morning chorus of the jungle. Sounds of fabric, wood and metal interspersed with occasional shouts. It seemed to be coming from the town square. Curiosity got the better of the thoughts of breakfast and Jane made her way there. It was a hive of activity by the time she arrived. Civilians and militia were gathered around, but to Jane's surprise they were for the first time outnumbered by the new arrivals. Spacers were gathered around two longboats, resplendently coloured in ivory and maroon. Their blue coats and colourful shirts were an unusual sight as they laboured to unload equipment and supplies from the boats, passing them to chains of red-coated Marines who passed the boxes and bundles from one to another before piling them on the ground.  
"All supplies present and accounted for, Mr Arrow?"  
Jane recognised the crisply-accented voice and she followed it through the crowd of moving figures until she found Amelia. She was standing with her back to Jane, gloved hands folded neatly behind her back. Arrow loomed next to her, checking a clipboard.  
"All present and accounted for, ma'am."  
"Very good." Amelia turned as she heard Jane approaching them. "Ah, Miss Porter. Good morning to you."  
"Good morning to you, too, Ame...lieutenant." Jane hesitated, unsure if their agreement of the previous night regarding formalities applied only between themselves. "I...hope you slept well."  
"Splendidly, thank you," Amelia lied. "Now, there are a couple of people you need to meet around here. Mr Whiting!"  
Whiting looked around. "Ma'am?"  
Amelia gestured to Jane. "This is Miss Jane Porter. Daughter of the colonial governor, no less."  
Whiting took her hand and bowed. "Honoured to meet you, Miss Porter. Excuse me, lieutenant, but do I have your permission to tie down the boats?"  
"Permission granted. Just make sure they aren't in anybody's way." Amelia nodded and turned to Jane. "Midshipman Whiting is my second-in-command. Now, the other person you'll be glad to meet is- ah, there you are! Corporal Tulip?"  
A long-faced Marine with a white chevron on his sleeve and silver insignia on his starched collar glanced around and sighed. "Please, ma'am. It's Flower. My name is Cedric Flower."  
"Of course it is," Amelia was grinning. "Lance-Corporal Flower is our friendly and long-suffering corpsman, Miss Porter. A field medic. I'm sure you and he will be able to work together."  
Jane tried to hide a sigh of relief at the thought of not having to perform her medical tasks alone. "I'm very pleased to meet you, Mr Petal. I mean, Flower," she quickly corrected herself.  
Flower rolled his eyes. "Even people I've only just met think it's funny to do it."  
"Perhaps you could show the Lance-Corporal the infirmary later." Amelia looked up and raised her voice sharply, pointing an accusing finger at a group of her spacer who were piling up supplies. "Not with that! Keep the ammunition separate from the victuals! And stack those rifles properly, there!"  
She turned back to Jane and smiled apologetically. "Sorry about that."  
"No, no, it's quite all right." Jane smiled back. "I should go and tell my father that the rest of your crew have arrived. I'm sure he'll want to know."  
Amelia looked back over Jane's head. "Well, it's funny that you mention that..."  
Archimedes had wandered into the square and was staring around him in amazement. He would have been getting in the way were it not for the fact that his small stature made it possible for things to be carried over him instead of past him. He spotted Jane and almost danced over to join her.  
"Do you see this, Jane? Isn't it amazing! After all that waiting!"  
"I see it, father," Jane laughed. "And it is rather amazing, yes."  
Amelia smiled. Archimedes clapped his hands.  
"It calls for a celebration! Have you had breakfast yet, lieutenant?"  
"Just a ship's biscuit and a cup of water, sir," said Amelia.  
"Well, that's no way to start a day! I insist that you and your officers join me at the town hall for a proper breakfast! We have...well...I suppose we could fry up some jamleaves or something. But I insist nevertheless."  
Amelia touched her hat and smiled. "We'd be pleased to join you, your excellency. Is that not right, Mr Arrow?"  
Arrow, who had grimaced at the word 'town hall', grumbled and forced his rocky face into something approximating a smile.  
"Yes...ma'am."  
Amelia winked and turned back to Archimedes. "We'll be there momentarily, sir, once we've finished unloading our equipment."  
"Oh, yes, of course. Needs must, what." Archimedes nodded.  
"Must...what?" Arrow asked.  
"What?"  
"What, what?"  
"Eh?"  
There was a moment of silence until Jane coughed. This seemed to break the spell. Arrow turned back to supervising his troops and Archimedes ambled off somewhere. Jane looked over at Amelia, whose shoulders were shaking with silent laughter. Jane caught a flash of her green eyes before she realised she was being watched and stood straight again, smoothing out her blue coat.  
"Ahem. My apologies, Miss Porter."  
"None necessary, lieutenant." Jane was smiling too. "I'd...better go and help my father with that breakfast."  
"Ah? Then I'll look forward to it even more." Amelia touched her hat again. "We won't keep you waiting."

* * *

Jane put the plate in front of Amelia and gave her a small smile.  
"It's not much, I'm afraid. Our supplies aren't very good. But we found this type of leaf that fries awfully well. Once you take the spines off it, anyway."  
Amelia looked at the plate. It held a pair of fat oval leaves that were probably once a grey-green colour but which had turned yellow where the cooking iron had touched them. The smell they gave off was a peculiar combination of sugary sweetness and a vegetative bitterness. But one did not pursue a career in the Navy with the expectation of high cuisine.  
"Actually, it looks rather interesting," she said.  
Jane passed a plate to her father, who was sitting in the middle of the table. Amelia sat immediately to his right. Whiting had been given the seat on his left. Jane took her seat next to Amelia and drew her own plate closer. Arrow, who had taken his red coat off before forcing his way through the door, was next to Whiting and was looking at his breakfast dubiously.  
"Well, do start." Archimedes smiled. Amelia returned the look politely and picked up her knife and fork. She poked at the leaf hesitantly and then speared it. The hot flesh parted easily enough and a white liquid oozed from inside it. She cut a triangular piece and tasted it experimentally. Jane watched a curious expression pass over her face, but it soon turned to one of approval.  
"Hmm. Not altogether that bad," Amelia said.  
Jane smiled happily. "I'm so glad you approve. They've become rather a favourite of mine since I arrived. They remind me of the sweet bread we used to bake back on our home planet."  
"And where was that?" Amelia asked.  
"Kingshome-on-the-Cusp," said Jane. "I don't expect you to have heard of it. It's a small blue kind of planet about halfway back towards the centre of the Empire."  
"I think I recall visiting there as a pup," said Whiting, across the table. "Rather a pleasant sort of place. Quiet and out of the way."  
"I recall seeing it on the star charts, at least," Amelia said. "What brought you all the way out here, then?"  
Jane shrugged and grinned. "I don't know. A sense of adventure, I suppose. Nobody know anything about this planet other than that it was here. How could anyone resist the chance to get to know a whole new planet? To discover a new world?"  
Amelia found herself smiling back. "Careful, Miss Porter. With an attitude like that you could find yourself in the Navy if you're not careful."  
"It's true," said Whiting, "The Service is a devil for finding that sort of person."  
"Oh, dear me, no!" Jane waved a hand. "Me in uniform? It would hardly suit!"  
"I wouldn't go that far," Amelia grinned, giving Jane a sideways glance that made her blush.  
"Well. In any case, I don't think I would much like all the fighting." Jane coughed and directed her attention to her meal.  
"Smashing breakfast, Jane!" said Archimedes. He waved his fork. "Did you do anything different with them today?"  
"No, father," Jane smiled. "Just the usual."  
Archimedes chewed on a piece and swallowed it happily. "You know, I do believe it could do with a light dusting of pepper. Could you pass it over, please?"  
Amelia looked up. The pepper shaker was on the table to her right. She reached out and closed her hand around it. Jane's hand got there a fraction of a second later and landed on top of hers. Amelia's ears flicked upright and she glanced sideways. Jane was staring at her, and quickly removed her hand under Amelia's emerald gaze.  
"My...my apologies, lieutenant."  
"None needed, Miss Porter." Amelia passed the pepper shaker to Archimedes and took a suddenly renewed interest in her own meal.  
"How frequent have the attacks on your colony been, governor?" asked Arrow.  
Archimedes shrugged. "Sometimes two or three times a day. Sometimes not at all. The local Naztarii do as they please, it seems. Dashed inconvenient of them. Can't even schedule game of cricket without wondering whether you'll lose an innings."  
"How very inconvenient," said Arrow. Amelia wondered whether that deadpan remark was genuinely commiserating or whether he was exercising a rarely-seen sense of humour.  
"Precisely," said Archimedes, either oblivious or ignoring him. "Almost unsporting of them."  
Amelia looked to her left and had to stifle a chuckle at the expression on Whiting's face as he rotated a finger next to his head, a gesture he turned hastily into a casual scratch when Archimedes turned to see what he was doing. Arrow opened his mouth to ask another question, but he was interrupted by the sharp, insistent ringing of a bell from somewhere outside.  
"What's that?" Amelia looked up sharply.  
"It's the alarm!" Jane's face was almost pale. "The sentries must have spotted something!"  
"In that case," Amelia stood quickly and swept up her hat. "I'm afraid you'll have to excuse us, your excellency. Duty calls."  
"Oh, yes, of course." Archimedes stood up as well, his cheery little eyes suddenly serious.  
Amelia nodded to Whiting and Arrow, who were on their feet. "Gentlemen, shall we?"  
"Yes, ma'am." Whiting checked his sword. Amelia turned to Jane.  
"Get your infirmary ready, Miss Porter. No telling if we might need it."  
"I will." Jane wiped her hands and gave Amelia a brave smile. "But here's hoping you don't."  
Amelia smiled back and led Whiting and- after some door-related delays- Arrow back down from the town hall. The sail tower creaked in the wind above them as they ran into the square. The spacers and soldiers had been busy in their absence, constructing a neat little city of white tents. They now hurried to and fro between them. Up on a watchtower built into the stockade over the main gate, Parol was ringing a bell furiously.  
"Mr Bock, report!"  
Bock stopped in his tracks and looked back at Amelia. "Eh?"  
Amelia sighed. "Blasted civilians trying to be soldiers. What's happening?"  
"Oh. Parol and some of the lads saw some movement at the edge of the jungle." Bock hoisted his rifle over his shoulder. "Don't know anything else at this stage."  
"Very well." Amelia turned to Arrow. "Deploy your Marines, Captain."  
"Aye, lieutenant. Sergeant Sackett! Two squads up on the wall, immediately! Third squad to form reserve!"  
"Yes, Captain Arrow!" An elephant-nosed alien, short but as about as wide as he was high, saluted, and began barking out orders. Amelia turned approvingly to Whiting.  
"Get our spacers armed as well, Mr Whiting. Must do our bit."  
Whiting grinned and touched his hat. "As you command, lieutenant."  
Amelia grinned back and strode towards the watchtower. The ladder shook as she climbed it to the platform. Parol was still ringing the bell and she waved a hand at him.  
"Yes, thank you, damn it! I think we're all aware of the situation!"  
"Yes, Miss...er, ma'am." The militiaman picked up his rifle and fumbled with the magazine. Amelia crept towards the edge of the tower and looked over. There were shadows at the edge of the forest, but there were deeper shadows within them. As soon as Amelia caught sight of one it seemed to slip away. She drew her pistol and armed it, trying to find a target.  
"I thought you might appreciate this, Miss Amelia." Whiting had scrambled up the ladder to join them. Amelia took the telescope he was offering her and nodded her thanks. She extended it and put it to her eye. The autofocus whirred as she panned the instrument along the treeline. Behind her, the ladder rattled again. Amelia looked around to see Jane enter the tower, a leather satchel over her shoulder and a pith helmet on her head.  
"What in all the skies are you doing here?"  
"First aid, of course," Jane patted the satchel. "I can't be waiting around in the infirmary if I can do more good out here."  
"Very kind of you, Miss Porter," said Amelia. "But we have Corporal Daisy for that."  
"Flower," muttered a voice from the ground. Jane fixed Amelia with a stern look.  
"You do your job, lieutenant, and I'll do mine, if you don't mind."  
Amelia was going to argue, but there was a look in Jane's blue eyes that made her think better of it. She turned back to the jungle and put the telescope to her eyes again, trying to understand what she saw. A dark shape seemed to move towards the edge of the treeline, ducking behind trunks and ditches as it came. The shadow flitted forwards, hunkered down behind a tree, and raised something towards the tower.  
"Down!"  
Amelia and Whiting dropped into cover. Jane and Parol were close behind. A red flash of searing energy spat out of the jungle and punched a hole in the watchtower walls. A second and third bolt followed it. Amelia felt splinters falling around her and she clasped her hat protectively over her head.  
"Mr Arrow!"  
Below, on the stockade walls, Arrow levelled his rifle and began firing into the trees. Bock joined him and Parol began firing down from the tower. Amelia felt the splinters stop falling and she got to her feet, following the bright blue lines of laslock fire. She tightened her grip on her pistol and added her own firepower to the fight. Whiting helped Jane to her feet.  
"Due respect, Miss Porter, I think you'd do better out of the line of fire!"  
Jane nodded and bit her lip. "Perhaps...perhaps you're right, Mr Whiting."  
Whiting assisted her to the ladder and looked up, across the town. "Ma'am?"  
"What is it, Mr Whiting?" Amelia knelt to stay out of the firefight. Whiting pointed to the other side of the stockade.  
"Movement over there!"  
"Take our spacers and get it covered!" Amelia snapped. Whiting ducked back and followed Jane down the ladder. Amelia raised her handgun again and took careful aim, firing a shot which hit the shadow in the middle. A hoarse cry went up from the jungle and it seemed to collapse. But two more had already joined it, red tracer fire hissing back towards the defenders. Amelia heard Arrow calling up his troops. On the opposite side of the stockade, Whiting led a crowd of spacers up to the walls. Amelia raised the telescope again and spotted a crowd of shadows flitting towards the treeline facing the colony's gate. The strategy of the attack was clear- two diversionary attacks to tie up the defence before a third real one broke them. Had it been the militia alone, it might have even worked. She slid down the ladder and waved to Sergeant Sackett, who was standing in the camp along with the Marines being held in readiness.  
"Sergeant! Bring up the reserve squad! I want them on the ramparts over the gate!"  
"Yes, ma'am! You heard her, boys! Move out!"  
The red-coated soldiers jogged past her as she took a rifle from a crate and loaded it. She followed them up onto the gatehouse, motioning them to stay low and keep out of sight. Once they were in position, she raised herself to look over the wall. The shadows were indeed massing in the forest.  
"Come on, blast you," she muttered. "Don't keep us waiting."  
The enemy fire began telling. A truncated scream made her look around in time to see a militiaman falling from the wall, a smoking wound in his chest. Whiting's spacers were forced into cover by a renewed hail of fire that blasted out chunks of the stockade. The Midshipman scrambled along to check one of the crew members, calling for medical assistance. Jane and Lance-Corporal Flower began running towards them.  
"Ma'am?" Sackett was clearly itching for the order.  
"Not yet, Sergeant." Amelia looked back at the forest. "Not yet. Wait for them to break cover."  
Sackett nodded and gripped his rifle. A sound behind her made Amelia look around to see Arrow bringing his squad up the slope.  
"The situation on the other side is secure, ma'am," he said. "First squad and the militia have it under control."  
"Very good, Mr Arrow." Amelia armed her rifle. "Form your troops up and we'll make sure the skulking vermin here get a good reception."  
"Yes, ma'am." Arrow waved them into position. Amelia glanced over her shoulder to see Flower helping an injured spacer back towards the camp. Jane was kneeling beside a Marine, her satchel open beside her. Amelia braced the rifle in her hands and looked over the wall, just in time to see the enemy charge out of the jungle. Red laser fire covered their advance, hammering into the stockade around the defenders. Clearly visible now, Amelia could see that they were blue-skinned creatures of a reptilian build, and they covered the ground surprisingly quickly in long, loping strides.  
"Stand ready!" she hissed. A shot hit the woodwork by her head, throwing a cloud of splinters that took her hat off. That seemed to be as good a moment as any.  
"Now, Mr Arrow!"  
"First rank, fire!" Arrow rose to his feet, aiming his rifle. A disciplined volley of blue fire sliced into the Naztarii, punching several off their feet.  
"Second rank, fire!"  
Amelia joined in this time, revelling in the kick of the recoil against her shoulder. She picked out one of the leading attackers and watched it go down as three bolts struck it simultaneously.  
"First rank, fire!"  
A third volley descended, making the wild charge falter.  
"Pick your targets!" Amelia called. "Make them count!"  
"Fire at will!" Arrow bellowed. A blizzard of shots was unleashed. The spacers moved around the stockade and began joining in, Whiting directing their shooting into the jungle to suppress the enemy's covering fire. The attack broke up in disarray, some survivors attempting to stand their ground and shoot back, others simply running for cover. A few cheers went up from the colonial militia at the sight. Amelia smiled grimly.  
"Maintain fire!" she shouted. She flicked a lock of her hair aside and sighted down the barrel of her rifle again, emptying the magazine at the enemy. As they disappeared she ejected the spend power cell and loaded a second one, but it was too late to use it. As quickly as they had come, the Naztarii had gone, leaving only a few bodies on the cleared ground leading towards the gate.  
"I believe the day is ours, ma'am." Arrow smiled with satisfaction. Amelia grinned and turned to him.  
"So it seems, Mr Arrow."  
A chorus went up at their words. Spacers took off their hats and waved them in celebration, militiamen whooped and even the Marines gave three cheers. Arrow's smile widened as he passed Amelia her hat. To her further happiness the tough felt had withstood the impact of the splinters, and she put it on triumphantly.  
"Carry on, Mr Arrow!"  
"Aye, ma'am!" He saluted. Amelia turned away from the wall and headed back to the square, still smiling.  
"Is it over?" Jane looked up from tending her patient.  
"For now." Amelia grinned. "But we gave them a good, sharp shock. I don't think they were expecting to be on the receiving end of Her Majesty's Marines today. Speaking of which, how is he?"  
Jane looked down at the soldier. "Oh, he'll be all right. Just a flesh wound, isn't that right?"  
The Marine looked up and indicated the bandage around his shoulder. "Piece o' cake, ma'am. I've come home from bars wi' worse."  
"Good man." Amelia smiled. "Any indication of casualties, Miss Porter?"  
Jane wiped her hands on her apron and stood up. "Three of yours. Two spacers and this fellow. Mr Flower is with the others. None especially serious. But one of ours...a man named Tonner...he was shot when the fighting began. He died."  
"Ah." Amelia's expression changed. "I'm sorry to hear that."  
Jane shrugged and tried to put on a brave smile. "He's not the first. But it...it's still hard. At least we have the victory to enjoy. For now."  
"For now, yes." Amelia agreed. She watched the other woman's face carefully, but she kept her sadness well hidden behind a businesslike expression. "But if you want to talk..."  
"I know where you'll be. Thank you." Jane smiled and picked up her satchel. "And...are you all right, lieutenant? I saw you have a few close shaves there."  
"I'm quite all right." Amelia grinned. "Although I fear my hat may never be the same again."  
Jane laughed softly and shook her head. "I'm just glad to see you safe, lieutenant."  
"I could say the same to you, Miss Porter." Amelia smiled.

* * *

Tonner was buried in a small cemetery on the slope behind the town hall. The grave was marked with a simple cylinder of white concrete, driven into the ground. Archimedes presided over a simple ceremony, mumbling verses from a small leather-bound book. Arrow had assembled an honour guard of spacers and Marines, who stood side by side with Bock's men and gave a final salute as the linen-wrapped body was lowered into the dark earth and covered over. Amelia stood opposite Jane, a black armband around her blue sleeve and her hat held under arm. After the crowd broke up, she wandered over to Jane, who had been watching from the other side of the grave.  
"It was very kind of you to be here," said Jane quietly. "I mean, you didn't know him. None of you did."  
Amelia shrugged. "Perhaps not. But he was an ally. It's the least we could do."  
Jane smiled sadly and looked down. She toyed with a flower she was holding in her hand and cast it onto the freshly-turned soil. Amelia put her hat back on and looked around the cemetery. Given that the colony had only existed for a few months, there was a surprising number of white cylinders and the dates inscribed on them got closer together as they went on.  
"I suppose you'd have to do this a lot," said Jane. "Say goodbye to people, I mean. I imagine that it goes with your job."  
Amelia sighed. "It happens. But to tell you the truth...I haven't been doing this for as long as you seem to think I have."  
"How long have you been doing it, then?" Jane asked her.  
Amelia decided that it wouldn't be a good idea to explain that this was only her second active deployment. "Well, if I told you the truth, you might not trust me any longer."  
Jane smiled and looked down. "I think it would take a lot to make me stop trusting you, lieutenant."  
Amelia felt herself almost blush, and she coughed and adjusted her hat to cover it. "Well. I certainly hope I don't find out exactly how much. Especially because whatever it takes would probably mean that I'm dead as well."  
Jane managed a smile. Amelia stepped closer to her.  
"And...if I may, Miss Porter...I feel I owe you an apology for greeting you the way I did in the watchtower. I was not familiar with the work you've been doing here."  
"It's quite all right," said Jane. "You weren't to know. Perhaps now that your Lance Corporal is here I won't have to do it so much."  
Amelia smiled. "You were certainly a great assistance for those of my party who were wounded in the action."  
Jane shrugged. "One does one's best."  
"You certainly do." Amelia said.  
It was Jane's turn to cough. "Well. I might as well make myself useful."  
Amelia took another step and was bringing up a hand to reach out to Jane's shoulder when footsteps behind her caught her attention. Midshipman Whiting was walking down the path towards them.  
"Begging your pardon, Miss Amelia. Oh, and excuse me, Miss Porter." He took off his hat respectfully.  
"Yes, Mr Whiting, what is it?" Amelia turned to face him. He put his hat back on and touched the brim.  
"We've made contact with the _Resolute_ to report the situation. But the link is very bad. I've got spacers working on the aethernet equipment, but..." He shrugged helplessly.  
"It's never been very reliable," said Jane. "It was a devil of a thing getting it to work well enough to send out the message that brought you here."  
"It's old equipment, ma'am," Whiting explained.  
"Any news from the ship in return?" asked Amelia.  
Whiting shook his head. "Maintaining high orbit and watching for intruders. Speaking of which, the chaps who went out to search the enemy dead have brought back some of their weapons."  
"Any clues about where they got them?"  
"No identifying marks. But, if I didn't know better..."  
"Out with it, man."  
Whiting scratched his floppy ear. "Procyon, ma'am."  
"Procyons? Here?" Amelia stared.  
"I know, ma'am. It doesn't make sense."  
"On the contrary, it makes rather too much sense." Amelia grimaced. "This war is a significant diversion of the Empire's strength, Mr Whiting. And who benefits when the eye of the Fleet is drawn elsewhere? Who has outstanding territorial claims on our border?"  
Whiting nodded as it sank in. "And the Nebula Pirates..."  
"No pirates have ever stood and fought the Navy head-on," said Amelia. "Until now. But why now? Why would the pirates of the Nebula not just retreat? Why form a Confederacy, unless someone is providing the backbone?"  
"Should we inform the Captain?"  
Amelia shook her head. "Not until we can prove it. But they might find out before we do. When we arrived, the governor made a comment about seeing stars moving. I don't think that _Resolute_ is the first off-world ship to come here, Mr Whiting. But I hope she'll be here when the next one turns up."  
Whiting grinned. "I bet she does, too, ma'am."  
Amelia chuckled. "I suppose we'll find out when the sky starts raining spars. Thank you, Mr Whiting. That will be all."  
He saluted, touched his hat to Jane, and left.  
"What was all that about?" Jane said. "I've heard of Procyons, but I've never seen one. Certainly not around here."  
"With a bit of luck, you won't have to." Amelia smiled reassuringly.  
Jane shook her head and gave a small smile in return. "I'm not sure how much luck we've got around here, lieutenant."  
"You've managed so far," Amelia pointed out. "And, by the way...it's still 'Amelia'. At least, when not in front of my crew."  
Jane's smile grew. "I'll remember that, lieu- Amelia. I promise. Even if it takes me a while to get used to it."  
"Oh, take your time." Amelia grinned. "I don't think either of us are going anywhere for a while, after all..."

* * *

It was just before dawn the next morning that Amelia awoke. She breathed deeply, enjoying the clarity of the Naztar air compared to the atmosphere that prevailed below decks on a ship-of-the-line, and found herself also enjoying the greater space in the infirmary compared to the elongated broom cupboard that Midshipmen and Acting Lieutenants had to make do with in space. Perhaps there was more to this colonial business than first met the eye.  
She buckled on her shoes, slipped on her black cravat and white waistcoat, took her belt, picked up her hat and stepped outside. The early light of the sun made the white tents pitched in the town square glow orange. The few low clouds still in the sky were a dull purple. Amelia walked quietly through the camp, listening to the calls of the sentries coming off the wall and their replacements as they took over. She felt a presence behind her and turned to see Arrow, his red coat folded over one shoulder and two steaming mugs in his hand.  
"Good morning, ma'am," he smiled. "Coffee? From the ship's store."  
Amelia chuckled and took one of the mugs. "How well you know me, Mr Arrow."  
Arrow shrugged. "I recall your grandfather was always one for waking early and taking coffee. Many times I would see him walking the quarterdeck at first watch."  
"I suppose that's something else I've inherited," Amelia smiled and took a sip.  
"There was one voyage during which we lay becalmed in the etherium for nearly two months," said Arrow. "We ran out of coffee after five weeks or so. He insisted we keep trying to synthesise it. Towards the end we were burning bread or biscuit until it was black, dissolving it in water, adding enough sugar to disguise the taste and calling it coffee."  
"I don't imagine that it did the trick," Amelia remarked.  
Arrow shrugged. "It was good for morale if nothing else. Morale is always important in situations such as that."  
"You mean when you're trapped and with nowhere to go," Amelia said. "Like now."  
Arrow smiled at her reassuringly. "It is still early days, ma'am. And if the enemy remains as cooperative to our defence as they have done..."  
"They won't," said Amelia. "We may get a few days of peace, after our victory yesterday, yes, but I wager that they will be back. And probably more dangerous than before. I fear that we are not just facing the local tribesmen. Were you able to take a look at the weapons that were captured?"  
"I was, ma'am," said Arrow, "And I believe we share the same suspicion."  
Amelia drank another mouthful of coffee. "This could get dangerous, Mr Arrow. Worse before it gets better."  
"I am inclined to agree." Arrow finished his mug.  
"At least the nights seem to be quiet," said Amelia. "And a jolly good thing too. I checked the water tanks yesterday afternoon. We'll need to be out to refill them soon."  
"Ah, the mission we interrupted at our arrival," said Arrow.  
"Precisely so." Amelia sighed. "The colony's recycling plant can't supply everything we need, I'm sad to say."  
"It was probably not designed for a prolonged siege," said Arrow in that deadpan delivery of his. Amelia smiled.  
"An unfortunate oversight, considering the current situation. Speaking of which, are you satisfied with our positions?"  
Arrow looked around the stockade. "There are a few areas that could perhaps stand some improvement. In particular, ma'am, I believe we should begin some excavations, at least for our supplies."  
Amelia nodded approvingly. "Very well. You have my authority to make use of our spacers in between their duties. I'll inform Mr Whiting."  
"Thank you, ma'am."  
"In the meantime, I think I should call on the governor for some information. They must have prepared better maps than the ones we were able to download from the _Resolute_'s databanks."  
"An excellent idea, ma'am." Arrow took her empty coffee mug back off her.  
"Thank you, Mr Arrow." Amelia smiled at her friend. "Carry on."  
"Aye, lieutenant." He gave a small bow and walked off towards the field kitchen. Amelia made her way up and along the stockade, pausing on the ramparts over the gate and remembering the scene that had taken place there not so long before. The clearing in front of them was now empty and the forest was quiet. But despite that, and the fact that she could see nothing in the trees, she had the distinct sensation of being watched. Gazing across the treeline, she buttoned her waistcoat and turned back into the town. Reaching the infirmary, she opened the door and came face to face with Jane.  
"Ah. Miss Jane. Good morning to you." Amelia took off her hat.  
Jane blinked in surprise. "Oh, and good morning to you, lieutenant."  
"I am alone, Jane," Amelia smiled. Jane smiled back.  
"Well...in that case, good morning...Amelia."  
"That's better." Amelia stood aside. "I'm sorry, you were going out?"  
"Just up to my father's to join him for breakfast," said Jane. "Perhaps you'd like to join me? I mean, us? Or have you eaten already?"  
"No, I can't say that I have. That's an awfully kind offer." Amelia smiled again. "I'd be happy to accept. In any event, I have a request to make of your father."  
"What's that?"  
"Information about the area. Any maps you've been able to put together." Amelia shrugged apologetically. "I'm afraid the main database is still sadly ignorant of your endeavours here."  
"I wish I could say that was a surprise," laughed Jane. "I'm sure he can oblige. Shall we go?"  
Amelia glanced over Jane's shoulder. "Of course. But if you'll permit me to recover my coat? It wouldn't do to meet the governor while incompletely dressed."  
Jane looked a little flustered. "You seem rather dressed to me, lieutenant."  
"In that case, I should say improperly dressed," Amelia corrected herself politely.  
"Well, you seem very properly dressed to me as well, for that matter. Very properly indeed in fact." Jane's cheeks went pinker and she turned back into the room hurriedly to pick up Amelia's blue coat. She handed it over to the feline, without looking up to notice that her face too had coloured somewhat.  
"Thank...thank you." Amelia put it on and straightened her collar.  
"Not a problem." Jane flashed a small smile. "Now, then. Shall we?"

* * *

"Are you sure those will be enough?" Archimedes scratched his head as he stood in the doorway of the town hall.  
Amelia turned to see him and patted the rolled-up maps tucked under her arm. "I'm sure they will, your excellency."  
"Please," Archimedes smiled. "Archie. Archimedes only if you really must."  
"I'm afraid I feel that I do," Amelia smiled. "Thank you for your assistance. And for breakfast, of course."  
"Oh, you can thank my daughter for that," chuckled Archimedes. "Not that I mind having guests, what!"  
"It's very kind of you, sir. And of Miss Porter, of course." Amelia grinned sideways at Jane.  
"I'm sure it's the least we can do." He adjusted the golden chain around his shoulders. "And I hope we can have a quiet day today, eh?"  
"I hope so, too, sir." Amelia tried to look confident. "But the enemy might not be in a hurry to return after yesterday."  
"Ah, good point." Archimedes nodded sagely. "No point in taking to the field with your second XI against a team that bowled out your first for a baker's dozen."  
"Um...indeed not, sir." Amelia tried to work out what he meant and gave up. "If you'll excuse me, though?"  
"Oh, yes, yes. Of course. Do let me know if you need anything else. Take care, Jane!" He smiled brightly and closed the door.  
"Well," said Amelia, as they walked back to the town. "Now I just need to find a quiet spot to take a look at these."  
"You can use my desk in the infirmary," offered Jane.  
Amelia smiled. "I appreciate that."  
"Do you really think the Naztarii will leave us alone today?" Jane tried not to sound too hopeful. Amelia shrugged.  
"Who knows. I know I wouldn't be in a hurry to come back after that, at least not without doing some very hard thinking indeed."  
They stepped out into the town square. Amelia stopped to survey the scene. Arrow had been an efficient organiser, as usual. While sentries returning from the night watches were allowed to fall into their sleeping stretchers, and their replacements went to take up position along the stockade, spacers and Marines waking up found picks and shovels thrust into their hands. Excavations were underway in half a dozen places under Arrow's watchful eye. He himself had put his shoulder behind a shovel and already had a pile of dirt behind him as tall as a man. He paused for a moment and politely acknowledged Amelia.  
"All under control, Mr Arrow?"  
"Indeed, ma'am."  
"Is all this really necessary?" Jane looked around the square.  
"We may be glad of it before much longer," said Arrow. "It will keep our supplies safe. And it gives our men and women something to do."  
"For morale." Amelia said quietly. "Boredom is the spacer's worst enemy."  
"Ah." Jane nodded. "Well, that I can understand. My father always said that an idle mind was the devil's playground."  
"Very perspicacious of him," said Arrow. "But it is not the devil that concerns us now."  
"Quite so," Amelia gestured to the maps. "I'll be analysing these in infirmary if I'm needed, Mr Arrow. Carry on."

* * *

Amelia looked up as a shadow fell over the maps she had spread out on the desk. A slender hand put a cup in front of her, containing what Amelia's nose quickly informed her was tea. She looked up and met Jane's eyes. The other girl smiled shyly.  
"I'm sorry for interrupting, it's just that you've been hard at it for a while. I asked Mr Arrow and he said that you normally prefer tea at this time of day."  
Amelia smiled and picked up the cup. "Mr Arrow is as thoughtful as you are, Jane. Thank you."  
"You must have known him for a long time," said Jane, in the kind of voice that turned a statement into a question.  
Amelia chuckled. "All my life. And my father knew him. And so did his father. And so did his. My family has something of a habit of spacing for a living, you see. One of my ancestors served with Arrow and we don't seem to have kicked the habit yet."  
Jane smiled. "That sounds very nice."  
Amelia nodded. "He's been a great help to us all."  
Jane watched her take a sip of the tea and flinch in pain. Amelia put the cup down firmly and licked her upper lip.  
"Oh, dear...too hot?" Jane looked genuinely concerned/  
Amelia nodded. "Just a touch, yes."  
"Let me get something for you," Jane stepped around beside Amelia, pulled open one of the drawers and rummaged around in it until she produced a small glass bottle from a collection of others. She pulled the stopper out of it and examined it critically.  
"Smelling salts. Hmm. I didn't even know these were here."  
"Never had much need for them myself," said Amelia.  
Jane smiled. "No, I can imagine that. Ah, here we go. Balm of wintervine." She picked out a flattish tin and unscrewed the lid. Amelia eyes the dark green contents suspiciously.  
"Are you sure about this?"  
"Oh, yes," Jane dipped her finger in it. "It works wonders on all sorts of things. Just you see."  
Amelia raised an eyebrow. "You're not proposing administering it to me yourself, are you?"  
Jane paused, her finger an appreciable fraction of the way to Amelia's lips. She blinked and drew back, wiping it on her apron.  
"Um, no. Of course not. That would plainly be ridiculous."  
Amelia chuckled and took the tin from her unresisting hand. "Thank you all the same, though."  
Jane smiled as she watched Amelia dab it on cautiously. "Is it working?"  
Amelia stopped and pulled a face. "I can't feel my lip at all, if that's what you meant."  
Jane laughed. "Yes, I suppose I should have warned you about that. Don't worry, the effect only lasts for half an hour or so."  
"Thank goodness for that." Amelia grinned. "I was afraid I'd never be able to use my lips again."  
She wondered why Jane blushed at that remark for a moment before the penny dropped and she did likewise.  
"Ahem. Anyway. Thank you."  
"No need to thank me." Jane screwed the lid back on the tin and put it back in the drawer with the smelling salts. "I should be apologising to you for the tea."  
"On the contrary, it was a very kind gesture." Amelia smiled. "And very welcome."  
Jane looked at the maps. "So have you found anything out?"  
Amelia sighed. "I wish I could report that I had. But I'm afraid I was flat out for a while just working out how the read them. Star charts are more my milieu. This here, is the creek that we first met at, isn't it?"  
Jane followed her pointing finger. "That's right. We call it Archie's Creek, after my father, you see. He discovered it...well...he fell in it when we first arrived here."  
"I see." Amelia tried not to smile. "And you collect your water from there?"  
"Yes. It's closer than the King's River, you see. That's what the creek joins onto here."  
Jane traced the route with her finger, finally pointing to a spot quite near where the longboats had first made planetfall.  
"And you say that the enemy isn't active on that side of the town at night?"  
"Not so far."  
Amelia drummed her fingers on the table. "Then let us hope they stay that way."  
There was the sound of a laslock discharge from outside followed by urgent shouts. The watchtower bell began ringing insistently. Amelia sighed.  
"I had to speak, didn't I."  
"I'm sure we'll be all right." Jane smiled bravely and picked up her satchel again. "I'll be right behind you."  
Amelia paused in gathering up her weapons and smiled back. "I'll remember that."  
She stepped outside, buckling on her belt.  
"Mr Whiting! Report!"  
Whiting, who was running past, a rifle in his hands, skidded to a halt. "Fire from the forest, ma'am! East perimeter!"  
Amelia drew her pistol and began heading for the stockade. "Mr Arrow! Summon marines! Mr Bock, where do you think you're going?"  
The militiaman stopped as he hurried by. "Er, the watchtower, ma'am."  
"The blazes you are. I need you on the wall where we can see what's going on. Follow me."  
Bock blinked as Amelia swept past, shook his head and ran after her as Jane emerged from the infirmary behind him. Amelia reached the wall and took stock of the situation. A red-coated body was lying in a heap at the bottom of the embankment. A spacer and a militiaman were crouched behind the cover of the stockade, trying to peer over the edge. As Amelia watched a red flash took a chunk out of the woodwork and knocked one of the spacer's weapons out of his hands. She bent down and picked up the rifle that had been dropped by the fallen marine. Jane arrived in a hurry and knelt next to him. She rolled the body over, saw the damage the laser had done and looked up at Amelia, shaking her head sadly. Amelia's eyes narrowed and she strode up the slope to the wall.  
"What's going on? Report!"  
The spacer picked up his rifle again and gripped it tensely. "I don't know, ma'am! There was nothing, then a shot came out of nowhere! It hit Private Wonlack, and..." His words trailed off as he looked down at the body as Jane covered it with its red coat. Amelia redirected his attention to the wall.  
"There's nothing else you can do for him. Just try not to join him. How many enemy are there out there?"  
"I don't know, ma'am!"  
Bock hurried up behind her. Amelia peered over the edge of the stockade and ducked as a shot narrowly missed her head. Two more shots hit the wood with dull thumping sounds.  
"At least two," said Bock. "Perhaps more. Or perhaps they're just moving in between each shot."  
Arrow arrived with ten marines in tow. "Reporting as ordered, ma'am."  
Amelia beckoned them up. "Stay low and keep out of sight. We've got snipers out there somewhere."  
The soldiers took up positions. A couple were less than stealthy and invited a further series of shots from the edge of the forest. Amelia took advantage of the snipers' distraction to return the fire, but their attention shifted and forced her back into cover before she could be certain of hitting anything.  
"This could easily get tiresome, Mr Arrow," she commented.  
Gunfire erupted on the far side of the town, a short, sharp exchange. Amelia turned to look sharply. Whiting had a handful of men pinned down behind the wall, trading fire with an unseen assailant. There was a shout from the watchtower over the gate before it too came under attack. A figure half-climbed, half-fell down the ladder and rolled onto the ground, yelling. Jane grabbed her satchel and began running towards the wounded man, arriving at about the same time as Flower. Amelia took in the scene and hissed in frustration.  
"Are all your troops deployed, Mr Arrow?"  
"All but a reserve squad with Corporal Ko, ma'am," Arrow said. "Shall I deploy them?"  
"Not yet. Not until we know what this is." Amelia slid down the wall. "Spread out across the wall. Stay out of sight. You're in command here."  
"Aye, ma'am." Arrow took her place. Amelia headed for the gate, pausing by Jane and Flower as they worked. A spacer was on the ground, a shoulder blackened by a hit.  
"Miss Porter. Mr Flower. Status, please."  
Flower glanced up. "Non-fatal. But bad enough."  
"How many are out there? I say you up there, on the tower! How many?"  
Another spacer looked down. "Can't tell, ma'am! Can't be more than a handful!"  
"Damn. More of the same," Amelia muttered. "Miss Porter, will you follow me, please?"  
"Yes, yes of course. Can you handle this, Mr Flower?"  
"Sure as sure, ma'am."  
Jane followed Amelia around to the other side of the town, where Whiting was leading the resistance. The Midshipman glanced at Amelia as they arrived.  
"Let me guess," Amelia began. "Taken by surprise. Only two or three enemy, staying hidden in the trees."  
Whiting grimaced. "Something like that, ma'am."  
"Casualties?"  
"One, ma'am." Whiting gestured to a marine, sitting propped up against the wall. Amelia glanced at Jane, who nodded and went to him. Whiting slotted his rifle through a gap in the stockade and fired a volley into the jungle. He was answered in kind and lost his hat to a near-miss.  
"Careful, Mr Whiting," warned Amelia.  
"Sorry, ma'am."  
Amelia tapped her fingers on the casing of her rifle. It was annoying, but at least the enemy seemed to be staying where they were.  
"We could smoke them out," suggested Whiting. "I can take a team out, and if we have covering fire from the walls..."  
"No." Amelia shook her head firmly. "It'd be too easy for them overwhelm you. I wouldn't be surprised if that's exactly what they wanted us to do. No, Mr Whiting. As galling as it is, we must hold our ground."  
"Yes, ma'am." Whiting looked disappointed.  
"Double the number of sentries," Amelia said. "Nobody walks the walls alone. Sentries will patrol in pairs at minimum. Understood?"  
"Aye, ma'am." Whiting saluted.  
Amelia slung her rifle over her shoulder. "Carry on, then. Miss Porter?"  
Jane looked up. "I'd like to get this man to the infirmary," she said. "But I'll need someone to help me get him there."  
"Allow me to assist." Amelia helped lift the wounded soldier onto a folding stretcher.  
"You, too, Clasp," Whiting pointed to one of the spacers, who took the other end of the stretcher. They navigated it down the slope delicately and headed for the infirmary, Jane walking alongside and keeping an eye on the patient. She directed them to lay him down on one of the beds.  
"Will he be all right, ma'am?" Clasp asked.  
"I'll do my best, certainly," Jane tried to sound confident.  
"Do you require any assistance, Miss Porter?" Amelia looked back as she crossed to the bed she had slept in.  
"No, thank you. I'll let you know if I do." Jane wiped her hands.  
"Very well. Back on the wall, Mr Clasp."  
He knuckled his forehead and disappeared. Jane looked around to see Amelia picking up her bag and slinging it over her shoulder.  
"Where are you going?"  
"Well, as your infirmary is now fulfilling its primary task," said Amelia. "I thought it would be best for me to find my own lodgings. I understand there are some unoccupied huts behind the town hall?"  
"Yes, several, but...are you sure?" Jane shook her head. "Yes, you are. Of course. And you're right. Thank you, lieutenant."  
Amelia smiled. "Not that I don't regret it somewhat. But if you'll excuse me for now, I'm needed elsewhere."  
"Of course." Jane turned to her patient as Amelia moved past her. Amelia began closing the door behind her and paused at the sight of Jane working quietly but earnestly. She smiled again and shut the door softly.


	3. Chapter 3

To Amelia's irritation, the sniper attacks were kept up for three days. Arrow and Whiting hit upon an effective countermeasure, in which one defender set up a decoy- Marine hats seemed to be popular targets for the Naztarii- while a small team of others waited for the enemy to open fire so they could trace the origin of the bright laser pulses and respond in kind. It was impossible to tell if any damage was inflicted but the enemy at least began treating lone targets with suspicion and were letting them go unmolested as often as shooting at them. Amelia moved into a one-room hut close to the southern wall. She made use of the new location to keep track of the activity to the south of the colony and so far it seemed as if the enemy really didn't bother to go there. The sniper fire was spread out around the rest of the stockade. She had considered ordering Arrow to lay off the excavations but he had insisted that they continue since the only thing worse for morale than boredom was boredom punctuated by distant laser fire. As usual, the big man was right, and Amelia found herself picking up a shovel on the third day as a way of giving herself something else to concentrate on besides her inspection rounds and the casualties who had gradually filled Jane's infirmary. There were fortunately few of them, but enough to worry Amelia, and a second marine was shot and the luckless wounded spacer succumbed to injuries. Both were buried in the small cemetery on the slope of the hill alongside the first of the landing party's losses.  
"I'm sorry I couldn't save him." Jane was standing by the graveside as the sun set.  
Amelia shook her head.  
"It wasn't your fault. You did your best."  
Jane looked down. "That's the point, isn't it. I did my best. And it wasn't good enough."  
Amelia looked at the dejected young woman and felt her heart go out to her. Her feelings had been increasingly puzzling to her. Of course she wanted to defend the colony and its people- that was her duty. Those were her orders. But when it came to Jane Porter, Amelia was beginning to think that her feelings were stronger than those of duty. And coming from her, she knew, that meant something. There was something protective in what she had for her, something that wanted Jane to be not just safe, but happy. And there was something more that hoped that somehow, she, Amelia, could be part of ensuring that too...  
She shook her head and put a hand on Jane's shoulder. "Nobody could have done any better. There's no need to be so hard on yourself. Not after what you've been through already and have withstood."  
Jane shrugged. "Still...we live here. You don't. But now your people are dying to protect mine."  
"So long as we protect you." Amelia looked down as well and tried not to flinch as distant gunfire echoed over the cemetery. The honour guard had been a small one as she and Arrow could not afford to pull more than a handful of their men from their duties or their much-needed rest. "And I do appreciate your efforts on our behalf."  
"It's the least I can do for you." Jane looked over at her. "Will you...will you be all right?"  
Amelia nodded briskly and tried to smile confidently. "Of course. And we have a busy night ahead of us."  
"Oh, of course. You're going for water." Jane bit her lip. "Do you have everything you need?"  
"I believe we do, if all goes well," said Amelia. "And there's still no enemy activity around that side of the colony."  
Footsteps behind them made them look around, and Amelia realised that her hand was still on Jane's shoulder. She hastily removed it. Arrow and Whiting were approaching, the latter wearing a bandolier holding spherical silver grenades and with a rifle over his back. He went to touch his hat, remembered that he'd lost it, and saluted instead.  
"Water party standing by, ma'am."  
"Very good, Mr Whiting." Amelia put her own hat back on as a crackle of laser fire sounded from the north. A few bright red tracer beams flashed past the top of the sail tower as the solar wings were furled for the night. "Are the boats prepared?"  
"The sails have been open to the sun all day, ma'am," said Whiting. "The batteries are fully charged. We should have the power to get there and back."  
"Excellent. I'll be with you presently. Mr Arrow, you will take charge here until we return."  
Arrow bowed his head. "Aye, ma'am. Are you sure I cannot accompany you?"  
Amelia smiled at her old friend. "I need Mr Whiting to operate the other boat, and I need to leave the colony in the hands of someone I trust."  
Arrow smiled. "As you wish, Miss Amelia."  
"But...um, would it be terribly all right if I came with you?" Jane held up a hand. "I'd bring my medical satchel, of course. I'd like to go."  
Amelia raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure, Miss Porter? Lance Corporal Flower is a capable man."  
"I know he is, but if the town comes under attack he'll be needed here. He knows more about war wounds than I do." Jane smiled. "But even so...I'd rather like to go along."  
Amelia eyed her and decided to relent. "Very well. Gather what you need and meet me in the town square. We will depart immediately on nightfall. And when we're out there, I don't want you going off alone. I want you to stay close to me."  
Jane's cheeks reddened. "I shouldn't have any trouble remembering that, I think. Excuse me, lieutenant. Captain. Mr Whiting."  
Amelia turned back to Arrow and Whiting, resisting the temptation to watch Jane's departure.  
"Well, gentlemen. To work."

* * *

The longboats raced over the canopy of the jungle, sticking close together. Amelia steered her boat by the compass, Archimedes' map spread over her knee. Whiting's followed close behind, navigating by the blue flare of Amelia's engine. Both boats were laden with barrels and buckets, with a handful of armed crew in the front. Amelia glanced over to Jane, who was sitting upright and holding her pith helmet on with one hand. Her hair was streaming out behind her and her face was hidden in the darkness until she turned to look at her.  
"We should slow down!" she shouted above the slipstream. "We're almost over the river!"  
Amelia nodded and reduced the throttle, pulsing the engine twice to signal her deceleration to Whiting.  
"Watch for the treeline," she said. "Once we're past it, we'll be over the river."  
The crew in the front began looking over the edge of the boat. Amelia brought them in slightly lower and slowed again until she heard one of the spacers call out.  
"Clear of the trees, ma'am!"  
"About time," she muttered. Amelia reduced throttle again, giving four pulses of the engine to signal a landing. She turned the boat to port and looked over the side. She could see the blue flare reflected in the water and she used it to guide them in for a soft landing at the water's edge. Whiting's boat came around their starboard side in a wide arc and came to rest just in front of them. Amelia saw him stand up and wave to her.  
"Very good!" she lowered her voice to a hoarse whisper. "Now, everybody out! Spacers to load the water! Sergeant Sackett, your marines are to fix bayonets and keep watch."  
"Yes, ma'am." Sackett set his jaw and swung his heavy-set frame out of the boat. "Marines will fix bayonets! Skirmish dispersal, fifteen metres!"  
"Aye, sarge!" The handful of marines followed. Their red coats provided a surprising degree of camouflage in the darkness, though their white facings and bandoliers rather spoiled the effect. Amelia swung herself out of the boat and splashed into the river's edge. She turned and helped Jane down. There were splashes and rustles as the others piled out of the boats and began unloading. The marines fanned out in a semicircle facing inland, taking up concealed positions in the long grass. Amelia watched their dispersal and turned back to see her spacers. They worked in teams of two, one standing knee-deep in the river and filling a bucket, which they passed up to a colleague in the boat who tipped the water into the barrels. The work was quick and efficient and Amelia felt a tinge of pride at it, at least until one of the buckets banged hard against the hull of a longboat as it was handed back.  
"Quietly there!" she hissed.  
Whiting crept along the bank to her. "No sign of movement in the jungle, ma'am."  
"Glad to hear it." Amelia eyed the darkened trees suspiciously.  
"Do you really think they'll try something?" Jane joined her. "They never have before."  
"They've never had two longboats to follow before," said Amelia. "While we endeavoured to keep our departure as discreet as possible our engine flares would be quite visible. And while they may not harass you by night, they certainly must observe you."  
"You think they'll follow us?" Jane looked worried.  
"Perhaps. That's why we have to work fast." Amelia looked around.  
"We always collected the water on foot," said Jane. "We never had any trouble that way."  
"There are a few more people who need to drink now," pointed out Whiting. "The longboats are the only way. And we'll be able to bring back enough to last a lot longer than what we could carry ourselves."  
"Of course...I see." Jane glanced at Amelia.  
Whiting turned and waved to one of the spacers on the longboats. "How much longer?"  
The spacer poured another bucket into a barrel. "We're about halfway there, sir!"  
"Carry on, then! Quick and quiet!" Whiting unslung his rifle. "Permission to join the picket, ma'am?"  
"Granted. Keep your eyes sharp." Amelia watched him join the marines, leaving her alone on the shore with Jane. She took her own rifle off her shoulder and knelt down, bracing herself on one hand. She realised her hand was resting on something and looked down, her gaze then travelling back up Jane's arm from the hand she was inadvertently holding.  
"Very sorry," she whispered.  
"No need to be." Jane smiled in the dark, and was almost disappointed when Amelia moved her hand as she shifted position. A sudden sound made them both look up. It echoed off the water behind them.  
"What was that?" Jane's blue eyes were wide.  
"Gunfire," said Amelia grimly. "Back at the colony." She turned to see that the spacers had stopped work momentarily at the noise. They resumed hastily as Amelia's stern gaze swept over them.  
"It seems our friends are not totally averse to night actions," Amelia looked back into the forest. She checked her rifle. "Let us hope that does not herald any other changes in tactics."  
Jane listened to the distant sounds. "It doesn't sound...too intense."  
"Snipers again," said Amelia. "Perhaps they're just trying to keep people awake."  
"I'm sure Mr Arrow can handle whatever it is," said Jane, hoping it was true.  
"Indeed." Amelia shifted to get a better view of the trees.  
Jane looked around. The spacers were still toiling away with the water. As she watched, a particularly tall one stood up in the stern of Amelia's longboat and wiped his brow. There was the telltale sound of a laslock discharge and a red bolt, blindingly bright in the darkness, leapt out of the jungle and struck him. The spacer went backwards over the side without a word. Amelia turned at the sudden splash, her mouth open for a stinging admonishment, but she quickly realised what was happening. More shots streaked out of the jungle, throwing up flashes of steam if they hit the water or sparks if they hit the boats. Spacers began shouting in confusion and the noise level went up another notch as Whiting and the marines began returning fire. Blue bolts flickered back and forth between red ones as battle was joined.  
"Stay down and stay here." Amelia waved to Jane. "I'm going to take a better look."  
She gripped her rifle and advanced at a crouch, snapping off occasional shots of opportunity along the way. She located Whiting, who was sheltering behind a hollow log with Sackett.  
"Report!"  
Whiting snarled. "Sorry, ma'am. They came out of nowhere."  
"I don't care where they came from! I want to know where they are right now and how many of them there are!" Amelia levelled her rifle and scanned for a target. A red pulse came out of the darkness and blew a sizeable hole in the log. Amelia retraced its path and fired a brace of shots in the general direction. Whiting caught a sudden movement and turned his rifle on it. A Naztarii tumbled out of the trees and hit the ground.  
"One less now, ma'am!" Whiting remarked cheerily. Sackett laughed. Despite the situation, Amelia found herself grinning.  
"I think we've already outstayed our welcome, Mr Whiting. Fall the marines back to the boats."  
"Yes, ma'am! Marines, to me! Fall back by evens!" Whiting raised his voice. Amelia turned and darted back to the riverbank. Jane was wrapping a bandage around a spacer's head as he lay on the bank. Another blue-clad body was lying halfway out of the shallows and Amelia hissed a curse. The surviving spacers were either sheltering in the questionable cover of the grass or were hiding behind the water barrels, adding their fire to the marines'.  
"Spacers! To the boats! Prepare to depart!" Amelia knelt next to Jane. "Miss Porter, are you all right?"  
"Yes, yes, of course. But this man needs help." Jane tied off the bandage. Amelia turned to the injured spacer.  
"Can you hear me, man?"  
He nodded dazedly. "Aye...aye, sir. I mean ma'am."  
"Good. Come with me." Amelia draped his arm around her shoulder and hoisted him to his feet. Jane took the other side and they headed for the longboat. Willing hands reached down to lift the man aboard and Amelia took up her rifle again. She passed it up to the crew in the boat and clambered aboard herself. She paused to help Jane up after her, and then took cover behind the helm. She could see Whiting leading the marines back towards them through the grass, pausing occasionally to shoot into the trees behind them.  
"Spacers will provide covering fire! On my mark! Fire!"  
A volley of rifle shots lashed into the trees. Shadowy figures were now following the retreating marines and a number of them fell as blue lightning struck them. Red lightning flashed back and Amelia bit back a yelp of pain as a splinter gouged out of the rail of the longboat sliced across her hand. Jane looked at her with concern bright in her eyes, but she gritted her teeth and tightened her grip on her weapon.  
"Damn it, come on," she whispered. "Come on..."  
Whiting had reached the edge of the grass. He put up his rifle for a moment and waved his troops on.  
"Marines! Quickly now!"  
"Come on, lads!" called Sackett. The stocky elephantine emerged from the grasses and fired back the way he came. A shadow that had been following her dropped like a stone as his shots struck true. Sackett grinned to himself and turned to make a run for the boats. A shot lanced out from the forest and hit the sergeant from behind. He went down with a yell of surprise. Whiting ran to his side and struggled to pick the heavy man up.  
"Oh, sod it all." Amelia vaulted back over the side of the boat and ran to help him. Whiting looked up gratefully at her.  
"Fancy meeting you here, lieutenant."  
"Shut up," Amelia took the stricken sergeant's other arm. The others emerged from the grass, firing back as they came.  
"Boats ready, ma'am!" shouted a spacer.  
"Very good!" Amelia glanced at Whiting. "I don't suppose you have any bright ideas of how to keep the enemy back for a moment? They really were getting rather close behind you."  
Whiting grinned and took a grenade from his bandolier, tossing it to Amelia. She grinned back.  
"On three?"  
Whiting took a second for himself. "Three! Fire in the hole!"  
Amelia twisted the two halves of the small silver sphere against each other and hurled it back into the grasses. Whiting's throw described an arc alongside hers and they hid their eyes with their arms. Two blinding flashes and two bull explosions went off and they ran for the boats. It took three spacers to haul Sackett on board. Amelia followed and saw Whiting running to jump up onto the stern of his boat. The last of the marines threw his rifle onto the boat and began clambering up. He was hit before getting halfway there and fell back into the water with a splash. Amelia swore again, but there was nothing to be done.  
"Everybody, hang on!"  
She gunned the engines, swinging the longboat northwards as it lifted off sharply. The engine roared as she opened the throttle. Red tracers flashed past them and she felt small shakes through the woodwork of the boat as they struck the hull, but then they were over the jungle again and heading for the lights of Naztarville. Amelia turned her head back to see if Whiting was following and saw his boat racing to catch up, tracers splashing off the hull as it flew. Jane scrambled over to Sackett. She pulled at the collar of his red coat and touched his thick neck to feel for a pulse. After a moment her face fell and she looked up at Amelia, shaking her head sadly. Amelia felt another surge of anger. She bared her teeth and willed the boat to go faster as it sped home. She only hoped that the water they had collected did not taste of the blood that had been spilled to acquire it.

* * *

Archimedes greeted them, wrapped in a coat that blew around him in the wash of the longboats' landing.  
"Success?" he shouted.  
Amelia jumped onto the ground and bit back the first reply she wanted to give. "We...got the water, sir, yes."  
"Excellent, excellent." Archimedes clapped his hands as Jane clambered down as well. He noted the paleness of his daughter's face and went to take her arm. "Oh, dear me, Jane. You look like you've seen a ghost. Are you quite all right?"  
Jane flicked a lock of hair back over her ear and gave a bright, brittle smile. "Yes, father, I'm all right."  
Amelia watched her face for a moment before turning back to her crew. "Everybody, unload the boats. Mr Whiting, my compliments to Mr Arrow, and would he kindly direct as many spare hands as he has to assist us. Also find Mr Flower and tell him to come here as soon as possible, please."  
Whiting nodded and headed for the square. Archimedes watched as the wounded and the dead were lowered carefully from the boats. The little man's face fell, moustache drooping, as the cost of the sortie became clear.  
"How...how many did you lose?" he asked quietly.  
"Four killed. Three hurt." Amelia's voice was curt. "I am afraid, your excellency, that the south of the colony can no longer be regarded as safe by night. The enemy is active there now."  
Archimedes wrung his hands. "I...I'll ask Mr Bock to put some of his boys on the wall there to keep watch."  
"I appreciate it, sir." Amelia helped to lower a water barrel to the ground.  
"Still...I'm glad to see you back." Archimedes looked around as Whiting returned, with Arrow, Flower and half a dozen others in tow. "We saw some lights moving off to the north and wondered if you'd maybe got lost."  
Amelia raised an eyebrow. "What lights?"  
"In the sky. Off north a few miles." Archimedes pointed. "You can see them from the town hall."  
"Are they still there?"  
He shrugged. "They were a few minutes ago. I saw them on the way down to meet you here."  
"Mr Arrow? Take charge here." Amelia saw the Cragorian's eyes flicker for a moment as he noticed Sergeant Sackett's body being lowered to the ground. "Mr Whiting, follow me, please."  
Amelia set off past a confused Archimedes. Jane looked up from where she and Flower were tending the spacer with the bandaged head. For a moment she thought of following, but decided against it. She looked up and signalled to Flower.  
"Very good, Lance Corporal. We can take him to the infirmary."  
Amelia strode up the path so swiftly that Whiting and Archimedes were left scurrying to keep up. She reached the door of the town hall and turned north, narrowing her eyes. The sky was mostly clear, aside from a few patches of high cloud. It was a moonless night and the stars were bright. It took her a few moments to realise that some of the stars were moving, below the clouds. Two or three sparks were moving to and fro above the dark forest. Amelia held out her hand.  
"Your glass, Mr Whiting, please."  
Whiting, who had just reached her, fumbled for his telescope and passed it over. Amelia extended it and put it to her eye. She panned it around and waited for the autofocus to lock on. Whiting heard her hiss between her teeth.  
"Ma'am?"  
She passed the telescope back. "Look to twelve degrees, Mr Whiting. Tell me what you see."  
Whiting peered through the lens. His breath caught. "Engine flares?"  
"Landing craft," said Amelia. Archimedes joined them, somewhat out of breath.  
"Goodness...well...you...see...what I mean...don't you?"  
"I'm afraid so, sir." Amelia grimaced.  
"They're not ours," said Whiting. "_Resolute_ would be around the other side of the planet by now."  
"So there's no way to contact them, either," said Amelia. "Damn it. Let us hope they make a short orbit."  
"If they're not your...whose...are they?" Archimedes leaned on the doorframe.  
Amelia and Whiting traded glances.  
"I could only guess, sir," Amelia said eventually. "But I am sure of what they mean. This situation may be about to get worse. Far worse."

* * *

There was a knocking on the door. Amelia awoke with a start and muttered a curse under her breath. It did not do for the commanding officer to be caught asleep, even if she had every reason for it and it was still early in the morning.  
"What is it?"  
"It's Ko, ma'am! You're needed in the communications hut!"  
Amelia threw off the bedclothes and located her shoes. "Very well! I will be there directly."  
She buckled on her shoes, located a new shirt to wear, slipped on her waistcoat and blue jacket and picked up her belt. Pausing to recover her hat, she shook her hair into a more dignified shape and stepped out of the door.  
"We picked up a message, ma'am," said Ko, who had been standing rigidly to attention outside as if she had been guarding the Queen's palace. Amelia looked startled that she was still there. Ko was a tall grey-furred feline with a body like a whip. A scar ran almost the full length of her face, pulling the left-hand corner of her mouth into a permanent expression halfway between a snarl and a smile. She had taken over as Arrow's second in command of the marine contingent following Sackett's loss.  
"Have you been waiting for me, acting sergeant?"  
"Yes, ma'am. Captain Arrow recommended last night that officers be accompanied at all times. Because of the snipers." As if to punctuate her point, a shot echoed across the settlement.  
"I'm sure he didn't mean all times. And we're perfectly...oh, never mind." Amelia remembered that marines tended to take a certain literal-minded approach to following orders. "The communications hut, was it?"  
"Yes, ma'am." Ko followed her to the sail tower. 'Hut' was, if anything, a charitable term for the corrugated iron shack at the base of it. An ancient aethernet caster took up one corner. Whiting, who had also obviously been roused from sleep, was already there and listening intently, the set's old-fashioned horn pressed to his ear. Bock was sitting at the controls, frowning in frustration. Amelia nodded to them as she stepped inside.  
"Good morning, lieutenant," Whiting gave her a smile.  
"What's the call, gentlemen?"  
"It's from the _Resolute_. But there's so much ionospheric interference."  
"I can't screen it out," Bock muttered. "Damned steam-driven hunk of junk..."  
Amelia took the earpiece from Whiting and listened intently. Through the crackles of the static, and sounding as if he was speaking from inside a tin can, underwater, in a lake forty kilometres away, she could hear Commander Chad's voice.  
"...lute to landing pa...Resol...rty...cont...high orbi...alt...interce...by..."  
"Are you sure there's nothing you can do with that thing?" she said to Bock.  
He shook his head darkly. "We've tried everything."  
"Try lowering the reception point," said Whiting. "And boost the gain. Perhaps there's enough signal coming through to clean it up."  
Amelia listened and shook her head. "Still not exactly a symphony, gentlemen."  
Bock thumped the table in frustration. A puff of sparks flew from the rack of equipment and Amelia's eyes widened in surprise in the sound suddenly cleared. Bock tried to look as if he'd done it on purpose.  
"_Resolute_ to landing party. We have detected an unidentified contact in high orbit above the planet's north pole. We are altering course to pursue and intercept. Stand by."  
Amelia passed the earpiece back to Whiting. "Well. That might explain our lights of last night."  
Whiting listened and agreed. "I fear it does."  
"What does it mean?" Bock looked confused.  
"I means, Mr Bock, that an unknown spacecraft is currently orbiting this planet, having offloaded something last night. I don't know what. I don't know whom." Amelia crossed her arms. "And I only hope that the _Resolute_ is prepared for the worst. Are we able to reply?"  
Bock checked his instruments and shook his head. "Your ship is already out of range of the two-way system. We could try a wide-angle broadcast, like the one you picked up to come here?"  
"They'd have to be listening for it," said Whiting. "And they'll probably make visual contact with the other ship before then anyway."  
Amelia sighed. "Either way, we'll have an answer soon, I suspect. Thank you, Mr Bock. Mr Whiting. Keep a listener posted here and have them report if any more news comes to hand."  
"Yes, ma'am...but we're already at full stretch with our people." Whiting scratched his head and shrugged. "And with the losses from last night we're even more short-handed."  
"I'll do it."  
Amelia looked around. Archimedes was standing the doorway. "Sir?"  
"Well, I don't seem to be very useful in other respects at the moment." He smiled. "So I would like to volunteer my services."  
Amelia found herself smiling back as the little old man drew himself up to what could generously be described as his full height and saluted.  
"You offer is much appreciated, your excellency."  
Bock got out of the chair and helped Archimedes into it. Amelia left him and Whiting to explain the technicalities of the aethernet caster and made her way out of the hut. She had intended to inspect the camp and then make her way to her hut, but she found her feet taking her towards the infirmary instead. The door was open a crack and she stepped inside quietly. Most of the beds were now occupied by wounded men, but Amelia pushed open the door into Jane's room. She looked around and smiled to herself. The small room even smelled like her. The pith helmet was on a hook behind the door, incongruously hanging over a yellow dress protected in a plastic cover. Amelia ran her eyes over it appreciatively. The bed was unoccupied but neatly made. Jane herself was sitting at a small writing desk, her back to the door. A tray of white, freshly-rolled bandages was in front of her. Or rather, underneath her. She was leaning over the desk, head pillowed on her arms and resting on the white linen, sound asleep. Her brown hair fell around her face and her back moved slowly with her breathing. Amelia smiled. The poor thing must be worn out after last night's adventure. She picked up a spare blanket from the end of the bed and draped it around Jane. She felt her heart step up a pace as her hands touched the shape of her shoulders. There was something about the vulnerability of Jane's posture, her sleep, the way her mouth was ever so slightly open, that brought out Amelia's protective instincts even more.  
"Wh...hmm..." Jane muttered in her sleep, and her eyelids flickered as if she were about to wake. Amelia, making sure that nobody could see them, stroked her hair back.  
"Shh...it's all right. It's only me. I'm sorry...go back to sleep. Back to sleep."  
Jane's face looked troubled for a moment, but Amelia's heart began beating again as a smile spread over the human girl's features.  
"Sleep, Jane. You're safe." Amelia looked over her shoulder again. She reached out a hesitant hand and stroked Jane's soft hair lightly, fingers running through the strands, until she settled back into sleep.  
"There...there, Jane."  
Amelia smiled to herself as she watched her sleep, and then she turned and left the room quietly.

She crossed the campsite. There was less conversation than there used to be as the marines and spacers went about their domestic chores or rested after coming off their shift. The excavations continued, and all the stores were now safely under cover, although the work had slowed considerably due to demands of meeting the threats on the wall. Occasional gunfire could still be heard, and Amelia saw Arrow up on the gatehouse directing a diversion team while a trio of marines in the watchtower provided covering fire. She located the covered trench in which the ammunition was being stored and drew a spare magazine for her rifle from it. Shorting through the cases, she opened another and pulled out a compact camp stove. Weighing it in her hands, an idea came to her and she packed it away again, picking up the case and taking it under her arm.

* * *

Jane awoke to a sizzling sound. She blinked once or twice until her eyes focused. A few gears freewheeled in her brain until they meshed and recollection flooded back. She had been rolling fresh bandages, hadn't she...yes, she must have done, because she had fallen asleep on them. But she didn't remember putting on a blanket and she fingered it in confusion. She yawned deeply and suddenly her eyes opened wide at the scent her nose caught. She sat up, pulling the blanket around herself, and looked around. Amelia was sitting cross-legged on the floor, stirring the contents of a small pan above a camp stove.  
"Ah, so you're back with us." Amelia looked up and smiled. "I was beginning to think I'd have to eat this all myself."  
"What is it?" Jane felt her mouth watering as she sniffed the air.  
"Eggs and bacon," said Amelia. "Well, reconstituted eggs. And reconstituted bacon, for that matter. Officer's rations from the ship's stores."  
Jane watched Amelia take the frying pan off the stove and divide the contents between two small plates. A smile crept across her face and she sat on the floor opposite Amelia.  
"This is awfully nice of you," she said.  
Amelia shrugged as she passed over a plate with a fork.  
"You've cooked me breakfast often enough in the recent past. And I thought you might appreciate a break from those fried leaves of yours."  
Jane took them gratefully. "Oh, that does sound good...I've missed food like this."  
"Wait until you've tried it," warned Amelia, cutting into hers. "You might wish that was still the case."  
Jane giggled. "Well, it certainly smells good, at least."  
She stuck a piece on her fork and ate it. Amelia watched her face, her own fork halfway to her mouth. Jane grinned and nodded approvingly.  
"Oh, dear. I haven't had breakfast like that since we got here."  
"Not many eggs or rashers of bacon in the jungle?" Amelia grinned back. Jane laughed again.  
"Not many, I'm afraid, despite much searching."  
"Ah, well. I hope this can make up for it."  
Jane smiled. "I think this could make up for quite a lot."  
Amelia felt her heart skip a beat and she wondered at herself for feeling like this. "I'm...very glad you approve."  
Her heart skipped again as Jane laughed. "Oh, I really do. Perhaps you were right when you said that Navy life might suit me, Amelia. The food alone is rather enticing."  
Amelia laughed too. "You'd be the first person in the history of the Empire to join the Navy for the food."  
"There's a first time for everything," Jane grinned. "But tell me, why did you join? You told me about your family and Mr Arrow, but was that really why?"  
Amelia smiled. "Mostly. Tradition is rather a good incentive, especially in my family. And I suppose the sense of adventure appeals to me. The sense of discovery. Standing on the bowsprit of a ship as the etherium unfurls before you...it's really quite something."  
Jane watched the faraway look in the feline's green eyes and smiled softly. "Yes...yes, it must be."  
She put aside her empty plate and shifted around the stove, closer to Amelia. "Aside from the voyage here from Kingshome-on-the-Cusp, I've never been in space. It was an amazing experience."  
"I can't remember my first space voyage," said Amelia. "I was so young. But I can promise you...the effect never completely wears off."  
"I hope not." Jane looked down and smiled. "I hope to experience it again one day."  
She rested her hand on the floor. Amelia looked down and noticed how close it was to hers.  
"I'm sure you'll get the chance. Maybe after this is all over."  
Jane sighed. "Will it ever be over?"  
"We'll do our best." Amelia smiled. Jane looked around at her suddenly.  
"Oh, I didn't mean I thought otherwise...I meant-"  
"It's all right, Jane. Truly." Amelia's smile softened. "I know what you meant."  
Jane smiled with relief herself. "Thank goodness...I wouldn't want to sound ungrateful."  
"You don't. You truly don't." The tips of Amelia's fingers brushed Jane's. She heard her breath catch for a moment.  
"Maybe...maybe you could show me the etherium again some day." Jane's voice was just above a whisper. Amelia nodded slowly.  
"I'd like that...very much, I think," she replied. Jane looked up and Amelia saw the light in her blue eyes.  
"I'd feel very honoured." Jane's hands crept closer, bringing Amelia's fingers onto it. Amelia blinked in surprise and watched Jane's face, trying to read the human's features, her heart and mind racing, hardly daring to think of a reply.  
"Lieutenant! I say, lieutenant!"  
Archimedes' voice broke the spell. Amelia withdrew her hand and stood hastily, brushing herself down. Jane coughed and looked away. Amelia glanced down at her and wondered whether that really was a look of disappointment on her features or not. She sighed and went to answer the door, which was being banged enthusiastically. Archimedes was hammering on it so hard that he almost lost his balance and fell into the infirmary when the door was opened.  
"Good heavens, I could swear there was a door there a moment ago! Ah, lieutenant, I've been looking for you."  
"Yes, your excellency?" Amelia raised an eyebrow. Archimedes wiped his brow and pointed towards the sail tower.  
"There's a message on the thingy. That machine that I was listening to. It's from your ship."  
Amelia looked up, face suddenly stern. "I see. What did it say?"  
"I think you'd better come and hear it yourself." Archimedes rubbed his hands together nervously. "I think you'd make more sense of it than I could."  
Amelia set off and swept past him. Archimedes watched her go and then turned back to see Jane emerging from the room.  
"Ah, Jane, there you are, too. Is everything all right?"  
"Yes, father." Jane watched the retreating blue-coated figure and smiled enigmatically. "It's most definitely all right."  
The communications hut was already crowded by the time Amelia got there. Admittedly only Whiting and Arrow were present, but Arrow was a crowd all by himself in the tiny room. He shuffled against a wall- making it creak- as Amelia arrived and entered the hut.  
"Gentlemen. We meet again. What news?"  
Whiting was sitting at the controls, turning the dials this way and that. "Well, firstly, whatever Bock did to make this thing work has been reversed."  
"You could try hitting it again," said Arrow dryly.  
"Don't tempt me." Whiting bit his lower lip in concentration. "Hang on…here we go."  
Amelia picked up the earpiece and held it to her head. The interference fuzzed in and out a few times before it cleared and a signal came through, audibly if not perfectly.  
"…calling. _Resolute_ calling. The unidentified vessel has left orbit and is attempting to depart the system. We are initiating a pursuit. I repeat, we are initiating a pursuit. Please stand by…"  
"That doesn't sound good." Amelia found herself looking up, as if she could see into space.  
"What is it?" Whiting put his head on one side.  
"That strange vessel is trying to make a getaway. _Resolute_ is trying to chase her down. They're leaving orbit."  
"We are alone, then," said Arrow.  
"So it seems," Amelia handed Whiting the earpiece. He took it and sighed.  
"This gets better and better, doesn't it. Still, perhaps nothing will come of it."  
"That rather depends on what those landing craft were carrying," said Amelia. She glanced over at Arrow. "But perhaps we should not be in a hurry to find out."  
Arrow smiled grimly. "Your instincts are probably correct, ma'am."  
Amelia shifted. "Are your troops prepared, Mr Arrow?"  
"As well as they have ever been, ma'am."  
"Good. Good." Amelia lowered her voice. "And…I'm sorry about Sergeant Sackett. He was a good man."  
Arrow shrugged. "He was. But there are other good people. Corporal Ko is a capable woman." He looked at Amelia and gave her a small but reassuring smile. "There was nothing more you could have done. And more lives would be forfeit if you had not acquired the water supplies."  
"He's right, ma'am," said Whiting. "It was an ambush. You got as many of us home as you could."  
Amelia bowed her head. "Thank you for your support, gentlemen."  
Archimedes appeared in the door, breathing hard.  
"So…you…heard it? Jolly…good…thought I…may have…been hearing things." He squeezed past Arrow's bulk. Whiting stood up hurriedly and drew back the chair for him. Amelia shook her head, straightened her uniform and raised her head in a businesslike fashion.  
"Well. We can do no more. Back to our posts, I think. Thank you, Mr Arrow. Mr Whiting. Carry on."  
She opened the door and left the small hut. In some strange way, as she looked up at the sky, she suddenly felt rather alone. Despite being too far away to appear as anything but a moving star it had been reassuring to have _Resolute_ in orbit. The ship was their protector and their fortress, but it was also where they had called home for more than two months. She pictured the ship in pursuit of her quarry, moonrakers and studding sails deployed to catch the wind, the Captain pacing the bridge like a caged tiger. She wondered how long it would be before the ship returned. And yet, as her gaze turned instinctively in the direction of the infirmary, part of her did not wish to end this mission any time soon.


	4. Chapter 4

Jane walked through the darkened town, a bucket in each hand. It was a warm night despite the fact that the last light of the sun had long since disappeared below the horizon. She made her way around the town hall hill and headed for the main water tank. There were few lights on this late but a couple of lamps were burning brightly enough to find her way. It was only when she stepped into the pitch-black shadow of a house that she encountered an obstacle. Her foot struck a rock and she stumbled, dropping the buckets which clattered noisily onto the ground. A distinctly unladylike curse hissed between her teeth and she waited for the pain to go away. A door opened, spilling a wedge of golden light across the ground.  
"Is there a problem?"  
Jane looked up and saw Amelia standing in the doorway of her hut, a pistol in her hand. She cursed again, quieter this time.  
"It's only me, Ame- I mean, lieutenant!"  
Amelia pulled the door the rest of the way open, allowing the light to fall on Jane. She relaxed and lowered the weapon.  
"So I see. Are you quite all right?"  
Jane tested her foot on the ground. "Yes, yes, I think so, thank you."  
"What are you doing up and about at this hour?" Amelia stepped out of the hut and went to join her, holstering her pistol. Jane gestured to the buckets on the ground.  
"Just getting some clean water for the infirmary. We're running out for tomorrow."  
"Yes, but…do you really need it right now?" Amelia cocked her head curiously.  
Jane shrugged. "I suppose…I was just having trouble sleeping. I thought I may as well do something useful since I'm awake." She looked at Amelia. "And…now that you mention it, what are you doing awake and with a light on?"  
Amelia hesitated for a moment and sighed. "I've…not been able to get to sleep yet either."  
"Is something the matter?" Jane looked genuinely concerned. "Is this about the message my father said came in from your ship?"  
Amelia shrugged. "That hasn't helped, I suppose. It was nice to know that she was still up there somewhere."  
"I'm sure it'll be back," said Jane, hoping that she sounded like it.  
"Hmm." Amelia gave a small smile. "Anyway…all this isn't getting you your water. Let me help you."  
"Oh, no, I can manage. It's only two buckets."  
"Well, that makes it one each, doesn't it?" Amelia grinned and picked one up. Jane smiled.  
"I suppose it does, yes."  
They walked side by side to the tanks- corrugated metal cylinders sitting in raised wooden frames- and filled the buckets. Amelia ran her eye around the wall, noting the movements of the night watch sentries, checking for anything unusual. Jane followed her gaze and looked sideways at her.  
"Is anything wrong?"  
"I don't know." Amelia frowned. "Different, yes…tell me, Jane, when was the last time you heard one of their snipers fire a shot?"  
Jane looked puzzled. "I…I don't really know. It's funny, you tend to stop hearing them after a while. I used to just jump every time but now it's like they aren't there at all."  
"That's because they aren't." Amelia glanced at her pointedly. "There hasn't been a single one since sundown."  
"So…" Jane's confusion deepened. "Perhaps they've given up?"  
"Perhaps." Amelia looked at the stockade again and decided not to voice the rest of that thought. Or perhaps they just don't want to attract attention because they're up to something.  
Jane watched her for a moment. "You're worried about something."  
Amelia tried to laugh. "I've been worried since I got here."  
"Yes, but..." Jane shook her head. "Never mind. I'm sorry."  
"Don't be," Amelia said. "I appreciate you- did you hear that?"  
"Hear what?" Jane stopped. Amelia had paused a step behind her and was listening intently.  
"I thought I heard something..."  
Jane concentrated, but had to shake her head again. The feline put down the bucket she was carrying and drew her pistol again.  
"I don't like this. You should go back to the infirmary."  
"I'd prefer to stay with you if there's something afoot." Jane stepped closer. "What do you hear?"  
"Something up on the wall. Something metallic." Amelia took the safety catch off the laslock. Jane looked up and squinted into the darkness.  
"I don't see anything...just two sentries, like usual."  
"Hmm. I'm going to have a look. Are you sure you want to come with me?"  
Jane nodded, face paler. Amelia eyed her for a moment and reached a decision. "Very well. Stay close to me."  
Jane left her bucket behind and followed Amelia towards the stockade, trying to keep her eyes fixed on the two dark figures on the wall. They passed behind a building, which blocked their sight for a moment. When they emerged, Jane's breath caught.  
"They're gone!"  
"But something is still up there." Amelia gripped the pistol tighter. She climbed stealthily up the embankment and crouched on the flat top where the path ran around the wall. Jane scrambled up behind her and followed her for a short distance. Amelia stopped suddenly and Jane ran into the back of her.  
"Sorry! I didn't see you-"  
"It's all right." Amelia's voice was low. "But I think we've found our sentries."  
Jane peered past her and gasped. Two militiamen were lying face down in a pool of blood, their rifles carelessly dropped by their sides. Amelia raised her pistol and scanned around them. Jane turned over one of the bodies.  
"Parol! Are you..." A single glance at the man's throat told her not to finish the question. Her blood ran cold and a shiver went down her spine as if they were being watched.  
"I think we should get out of here," said Amelia. Jane nodded dumbly and wiped her hand on her shirt, leaving a print of blood behind. Something poked into her arm and she looked down to see Amelia handing her the pistol.  
"Take this. And keep your eyes open." Amelia picked up Parol's rifle and examined it. "Not even charged. Damn them."  
Jane watched her activate the weapon, the high-pitched whine a comforting sound in the silence. Amelia glanced at her and caught her eye.  
"When I say now, we head for the infirmary. And we stick together, Jane. Do you understand?"  
"Yes...yes, I do." Jane held the pistol in trembling hands, trying to keep her fingers away from the trigger. Amelia raised the rifle and fired four shots up into the air. The bolts of blue lightning flashed into the night sky.  
"_Resolute_s to arms! To arms!"  
Her call was strong and clear, and it echoed across the town. Then she slid down the embankment and dropped to a crouch on the ground, flicking the catch to extend the rifle's spring-loaded bayonet. Jane followed her as shouts began coming from the camp at the square. The watchtower bell began ringing. Jane followed her at a crouching run past a building and caught up with her as she took cover behind a barrel.  
"What's happening?" Jane's eyes were wide.  
"We're under attack." Amelia panned the rifle around, daring something to step into her sights.  
"At night?"  
"There's a first time for everything. Come on." Amelia set off again, turning a corner. She flattened herself against the wall and crept along, gesturing to Jane for silence. Jane tried to keep up, painfully aware of how loud her footballs seemed compared to those of the feline. There were more shouts coming from the centre of the town now, along with the sound of running footsteps. Laser fire erupted somewhere nearby, red and blue tracers hissing back and forth. Amelia peered around a corner of the building and beckoned Jane to stay close. She darted across the gap to the next house, keeping her rifle at the ready. Jane scampered in behind her and caught a glimpse of her face. Amelia's features were taut and alert, her green pupils widely dilated. Her ears stood up tall from her head and Jane saw that her claws were out and raking against the metal of the rifle casing. It was an impressive sight. Amelia padded around to the next corner, tensed, and waved Jane to stay put. She crouched down and redoubled her grip on the pistol as she watched Amelia move closer to the corner and stand still. She hardly dared to breathe. A black-cloaked figure drifted out of the shadows, moving slowly and silently. A hooded head was intent on its direction and didn't seem to notice the two women. Amelia raised her rifle. The motion must have registered for the figure turned sharply to face her. A pistol was drawn from somewhere under the cloak. Jane caught a brief glimpse of what lay under the hood- to her surprise, it was not one of the reptilian Naztarii. The face she saw was brown-furred with black stripes, and with two burning yellow eyes. A mouth opened in a snarl, revealing a set of ferocious, predatory teeth as the pistol came up. Amelia reacted first, pulling the trigger and shooting the creature at point-blank range. The discharge of the rifle was startlingly loud and the flash of the hit was visible to Jane even through her eyelids. Amelia whirled around the corner and almost ran into a second hooded figure. Without pausing to think, she smashed it across the face with the stock of her rifle and drove the bayonet home as her target slumped to the ground. She withdrew the blade with a triumphant shout and looked up, ducking as a red blast of energy sizzled over her. She scrambled back around the corner and knelt next to Jane.  
"Blast it, I was hoping there wouldn't be three of them!"  
Jane stared. "How did you..."  
Amelia leaned around the corner and returned fire. "Make that at least five of them," she corrected herself. Fire spattered against the side of the building, making her duck again. Jane scrambled back to the other corner and poked her head around it. A stinging pulse of laser energy whipped past, so close she fancied she could hear her hair singe.  
"Um...I think they're over here as well."  
"What?" Amelia turned to look at her, startled. "How many?"  
"Too many!" Jane fumbled with the pistol.  
Amelia cursed. She moved back to cover Jane and tried to get a clear shot around the corner, only to be forced back by a barrage of fire.  
"What are they?" Jane stared at Amelia's first victim. "I've never seen them before!"  
Arrow's voice came from behind them. "This way! Over this way, men!"  
Amelia grinned as she looked back. Arrow had a group of marines with him and was leading them towards the sound of the fighting. She saw him looming out of the darkness, a pistol dwarfed in one huge and a cutlass in the other. She caught his attention and waved him back into cover as the enemy opened fire again, a fusillade of shots narrowly missing him.  
"Grenade! Now!" Arrow turned to the marine beside him, who tossed a silver sphere to him. Arrow twisted it and bellowed the warning.  
"Fire in the hole!"  
"What?" Jane looked up in alarm as Arrow hurled the weapon past them.  
"Block your ears," Amelia advised.  
There was a explosion that sent dirt and gravel scattering around them. Arrow led his troops out into the open, forming them up in a disciplined firing line that poured blue fire through the smoke at anything that looked like a target. When they were satisfied that it was clear, Arrow brought them up next to Amelia.  
"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes, Mr Arrow," Amelia grinned. Arrow touched his hat modestly.  
"I aim to please, ma'am."  
"I'd rather if you aimed to kill right now," said Amelia. "We've still got company. There's more of them around the other side of the building."  
Arrow set his jaw. "If you can keep them pinned down, ma'am, I believe we can outflank them."  
Amelia raised her rifle. "Give me two of your men and we'll hold their attention."  
Arrow picked a pair out and gestured to the rest. "You men, we will advance up the side we just cleared and will engage the enemy from there. Understood?"  
There was a murmur of assent. Arrow stood up and got into position. He turned back to Amelia and gave her a smile.  
"Good luck, ma'am."  
"You too, Mr Arrow." Amelia crept to the corner and waved the two marines to come in behind her.  
"Can I help?" Jane looked tense.  
"I'd rather you stayed out of the line of fire, Ja- Miss Porter." Amelia tried to peer around the corner. "I wouldn't want anything to happen to you."  
Jane flushed and looked down. Amelia glanced back and gave a nod.  
"Ready? On my mark- fire!"  
She leaned around the corner, raised her rifle and began shooting. The marines, standing above her, joined in. Arrow and his men disappeared around the other side of the building at a run.  
"Blast it!" Amelia's rifle whined as the magazine ran empty. She dropped back from the wall and began searching for a replacement. Jane scrambled over to her and handed her pistol back. Amelia took it gratefully, smiling as their hands touched around the grip, and then leaned back around the corner. Jane craned her neck to see. The enemy had occupied a position behind a woodpile that afforded them excellent cover. Their return fire was sharp and accurate. One of the marines swore as his rifle was blasted out of his grip. He fell back, still cursing. Jane went to go to his aid as more gunfire erupted. Arrow had led his troops around the side of the building and was attacking the enemy from their unguarded flank. The trapped foe quailed for a moment before leaping forwards, closing the distance and meeting Arrow's party in hand to hand. Bayonets were raised to greet them and Jane winced automatically as one of the enemy met Arrow's fist head-on. A melee broke out, shouts and the clashing of metal replacing the hiss and crackle of laslock discharges. Amelia stood and handed Jane her pistol again. Before the human could ask what was going on, Amelia had drawn her sword and turned to the marines, her eyes wild and her teeth bared.  
"Marines, with me! For the Queen!"  
She turned the corner, ran, and pounced onto the enemy. The first marine followed her, laying in with both ends of his rifle. Even the wounded soldier joined the fight, slashing left and right with a knife. Jane found herself moving up with them, drawn on somehow by the surging adrenaline of the moment. She saw Arrow pick up a cloaked figure in both hands and hurl it bodily into another. She saw a raider pinned to the ground by a bayonet thrust. She saw a marine go down under the swing of a curved blade. The wielder snarled and turned two hate-filled yellow eyes to face Amelia as she sprang forward. Scimitar met cutlass, striking off each other again and again. Amelia closed in, grappled with the raider and took him by the throat as he lunged for her. She span on her heel to deflect the force of the push and they both slammed into the wall, the raider's back to Jane. She cried out in shock, jumping back to avoid the brawl and accidentally squeezing the trigger of the pistol, firing it into the ground. The sudden shot made the raider start and look around briefly to see where it had come from, giving Amelia an opening she did not let pass. As the body slumped to the ground, Amelia withdrew her sword, threw her hair back and looked up in surprise. She saw Jane and smiled, giving a nod of acknowledgement.  
"We'll make a spacer of you yet, Miss Porter!"  
Jane laughed, without really knowing why. Amelia turned back to the fight, but it was all over now. One of Arrow's marines administered a coup de grace with his bayonet to a recumbent victim. Arrow himself dusted off his hands and saluted Amelia.  
"Area secure, ma'am."  
"Very good, Mr Arrow. Miss Porter, can you see to our casualties?"  
Jane looked around and went to help. One marine was down and two others injured. She wished she'd brought her satchel, but made do with what she could find. Amelia watched for a moment and turned back to Arrow.  
"What's our situation here?"  
"Multiple points of infiltration," said Arrow grimly. "Acting Sergeant Ko is clearing the northern wall. Mr Whiting is securing the south-east. Mr Bock and the militia are holding the gatehouse."  
"Can we get to the infirmary?" asked Jane. "My things are all there, I'd be able to do much more with them."  
"If we move quickly and stay together, we can," said Arrow.  
"I can go myself if it's safe," Jane said.  
"Nowhere is safe right now," said Amelia. "Not until we can clear it. I don't want you going off alone. Mr Arrow, I want you to retake the wall and hold it, at all costs. I will go with Miss Porter to the infirmary. Understood?"  
"Aye, ma'am. At all costs." Arrow picked up the dead marine's rifle and headed for the wall. Amelia checked the charge on her pistol and looked at the two casualties. "Can you two still hold your weapons?"  
"Yes, ma'am." One of them, a young dark-haired porcine, gripped his rifle and grinned through a bloodied face. "Still...still in the fight, ma'am."  
"Very good, private." Amelia grinned. "If any more of the bastards come out of shadows, you know what to do."  
"Two in the chest and one in the head, ma'am?" said the other one.  
"Or any variation of the above, yes." Amelia turned to Jane. "Miss Porter? Follow me."  
Jane tried to keep up as Amelia moved swiftly through the settlement. There was still fighting going on, shots, shouts and clashes echoing from the northern side of town and mingling with similar sounds from the direction of the gate. Amelia led them from one piece of cover to the next, pausing every now and then to listen. Jane hurried to catch up as they moved around the township. She rejoined her in the lee of the communications hut. The sail tower creaked overhead and the infirmary was nearby.  
"Almost there," said Amelia.  
Jane regained her breath and gave a thin smile. "Yes…thank you…for coming with me, I meant."  
"I wasn't going to leave you alone," Amelia returned the smile. "Anything could have happened to you."  
She reached out and took Jane's hand to guide her across the open ground and realised that Jane was physically shaking. Amelia looked at her in concern.  
"Are you all right?"  
Jane nodded mutely and glanced up. Amelia saw her pale face and the look in her eyes. She stepped closer.  
"Jane…are you sure?"  
"Back there…in the fight…when you joined in and I…" Jane fumbled her hands together. "I've never done that before."  
Amelia's heart went out to her. It was easy to forget that, despite Jane's resilience, she wasn't meant for any of what had happened.  
"You did fine," Amelia said softly. "You probably saved me. You certainly helped a great deal."  
"I just…didn't want to let you down." Jane lowered her face. Amelia's hand touched her chin and lifted it until their eyes met, bright in the darkness.  
"You didn't, Jane. I really don't think you ever would."  
Jane smiled again, with a bit more strength. "You think so?"  
"I know so." Amelia smiled back. "Now. Shall we?"  
Jane nodded, a light returning to her eyes. "Let's."  
Amelia looked around keenly one last time. "We should go now."  
They crossed the ground swiftly, reaching the infirmary. The door was locked and Jane banged on it in frustration.  
"Who goes there?" A voice called from inside the building.  
"It's Lieutenant Amelia and Jane Porter!" shouted Amelia. "Now open the blasted door!"  
There was a pause and then it creaked open. Lance Corporal Flower poked his head around it and sighed with relief when he saw them.  
"Thank goodness for that. We thought it might be…someone else."  
Amelia followed Jane inside and surveyed the room. Most of the beds were still occupied, but the patients were all clutching their weapons and using them to cover the door and window. They relaxed at the sight of Amelia standing in the doorway. Flower had been bunkered down with his rifle behind Jane's desk.  
"How is it out there?" he asked.  
"Not good," admitted Amelia. "We're getting it under control, but you and Miss Porter might be busy very soon."  
Jane vanished into her room, re-emerging with her satchel over her shoulder and pulling an apron on over her head. "I'm ready to go back out there. But should I-"  
There was another knocking on the door. Flower jumped and levelled his rifle at the woodwork.  
"Who is it?"  
"Message from Mr Whiting, sir!"  
Amelia opened the door and acknowledged the spacer standing outside. "Proceed, Mr Clasp."  
The spacer paused for a moment to get his breath back before saluting. "Mr Whiting's respects, ma'am. The wall is secure."  
There were a couple of cheers from the infirmary patients. Flower looked relieved.  
"My compliments to Mr Whiting," grinned Amelia. "Thank him for the good news."  
"Yes, ma'am. There's something else, ma'am. We have a prisoner."  
Amelia's ears stood up. "A prisoner?"  
"Sergeant Ko's lads captured one of the bastards, ma'am. Sorry for the language, ma'am. She's bringing it to the camp in the square."  
"Hm. Interesting. Very well. I will be there momentarily. You're dismissed."  
"Thank you, ma'am." Clasp saluted again and disappeared. Amelia turned back to Jane.  
"I may be needed to deal with that, Miss Porter. You have everything you need?"  
"Yes, I'm all set. Should I…should I see the prisoner?"  
Amelia paused. "Good point. I'm amazed that there even is one if it was Ko who captured them. I only hope there's enough of them left to interrogate."

* * *

There was a small crowd in the square. A hooded figure was kneeling on the ground, being held at gunpoint by Ko and a spacer. A few others, including Bock and a handful of militiamen, had gathered around to see the face of enemy up close. Ko drew herself up to attention and saluted Amelia as she arrived, the muzzle of her rifle never wavering. Her red uniform was stained darker in some places with patches of blood, none of it hers.  
"Thank you, acting sergeant, as you were." Amelia examined the prisoner critically. Jane stood beside her and looked at it.  
"It's not a Naztarii," she said.  
"No. But that's the reason for all your troubles. That, Miss Porter, is a Procyon."  
"A Procyon? Here?" Jane sounded genuinely shocked.  
Amelia nodded to Ko, who stepped forward and roughly removed the prisoner's hood. The wolf-like face was revealed as Bock shone his lantern at it. The yellow eyes seemed to burn even brighter in the light and the creature muttered darkly.  
"Name," said Amelia curtly.  
The Procyon grinned nastily. "Death."  
Ko pushed it in the back, forcing it onto all fours. "Try again."  
"Torqas," it muttered.  
"That's better." Amelia moved closer to him, folding her hands behind her back. "How long have you been on this planet? And I do urge you to speak soon. Sergeant Ko here has something of a short fuse."  
Torqas stayed sullenly silent as he sat back up. Amelia began pacing in front on him.  
"We saw lights from landing craft a few nights ago. Was that your force arriving?"  
There was no reply. Ko glanced at Amelia questioningly. Amelia shook her head calmly.  
"We also picked up a ship in orbit above the north pole. Was that your vessel?"  
Silence.  
"You might as well answer. Our ship is in pursuit as we speak. We'll know soon enough if it was yours. If the Procyon Hierarchy is attempting to stay covert in this war, your cover is about to be blown."  
"Seven weeks." Torqas's voice was low. "We've been here seven weeks."  
"That's about when the trouble started!" said Jane.  
"Well. That would explain that. And we've seen the weapons you gave the Naztarii tribes. You thought they'd do your dirty work for you?"  
"You made them attack us?" Bock was tense and angry.  
"So why have you only entered the fray now?" Amelia reversed her pacing. "If you've been there for seven weeks, why are you only joining the fight now?"  
Torqas laughed darkly. "Stupid Imperials! We've been in it all along! Who do you think those sharpshooters were? The local cattle are no good for that! They gave up! They're cowards! Only good for testing you!"  
"They killed us!" Bock shouted. "They were killing us!"  
"I guess that means you failed the test, then," Torqas grinned, baring his teeth. Ko struck him sharply in the back with the stock of her rifle. Bock started forwards, raising his fists. Amelia glared at him until he subsided and one of his men put a hand on his shoulder to pull him back, muttering under his breath. Whiting arrived from the direction of the gatehouse, breaking the tension.  
"All clear, ma'am. The position is secure."  
"Thank you, Mr Whiting." Amelia turned her gaze back to Torqas. Whiting blinked in surprise at the sight of the kneeling Procyon.  
"Blimey…"  
"So that's what it took to bring you into the front line?" said Amelia. "As soon as you ran out of friends to sacrifice?"  
"Friends? Hah!" Torqas shook his head. "The idea that the Hierarchy would have anything in common with the natives of this world is laughable! They were useful, that's all. Like this world will be when it's ours. A dagger at the heart of your failing Empire."  
"You're the one on your knees, scum," snapped Ko. "I'd be careful who I describe as 'failing'."  
"Thank you, acting sergeant." Amelia looked up sternly. Ko met her gaze for a moment and then stood back, holding her rifle at ease by her side. Torqas grinned.  
"This world?" said Jane quietly, moving forwards. "They want this world?"  
"Of course they do," Amelia watched Torqas. "The Empire barely knows you're here. If you disappeared suddenly, who would miss you? It could be months before another ship comes here. And by then it would be too late. We'd have a Procyon fortress, right here in the Lagoon Nebula. Am I right, Torqas?"  
"Very smart for a feline," he affirmed. Ko hissed to herself.  
"You just didn't bet on your intended victims calling in the Fleet, though," Amelia grinned. "Now that the Naztarii have deserted you, your plan seems to be going astray."  
"It's not over yet." Torqas said. "You have no idea…none of you do."  
He surveyed the gathering defiantly. "You're all going to die here. Every one of you. And the jungle will grow back over your bones…"  
"Can I kill it, ma'am?" asked Ko.  
"No." Amelia waved her back and looked at Torqas again. "You've attacked us by day, and failed. You've attacked us by night, and failed. You're not getting any reinforcement. What makes you think you can keep this up?"  
"You're not getting any reinforcements either," said Torqas. "And after tonight, you're in more need than us. Especially with what we've got coming to you."  
"And what's that?"  
Torqas grinned.  
"With respect, ma'am, we don't know if he's telling the truth," said Whiting. "The only good Proc is a dead Proc."  
"I agree, sir," said Ko. "Are you sure I can't kill it, ma'am?"  
"Oh, this one's dead," said Amelia. "He just doesn't know it yet. You're going to be staying here, Torqas. You're going to share our fate. If we die, so do you."  
"For the glory of the Hierarchy!" Torqas snapped. "I am not afraid to die!"  
"It can be arranged!" Amelia fixed him with a piercing look. "You picked the wrong war, Procyon. You and the Hierarchy."  
Torqas snarled. Amelia ignored him.  
"Sergeant Ko. You will tie the prisoner to the sail tower and you will gag him so that he does not disrupt the camp. If he resists, or attempts to escape, you have my permission to shoot him."  
"Yes, ma'am!" Ko stepped forward and gave Torqas a none-too-gentle nudge with her foot. "Get up, Proc. And keep your hands where I can see them."  
Amelia stood next to Jane as the prisoner was pushed into motion. Jane watched his yellow eyes, which fixed on her as he moved past. As they drew level, Torqas raised a hand in a blur of motion. Faster than her eye could follow, he tore his cloak from around his neck and swirled the garment into the face of the spacer escorting him, who instinctively raised his arms to fend it off. There was a bestial sound as the Procyon launched himself towards Jane, claws extended. She screamed as movement erupted all around her. Amelia moved in front of her protectively, pushing Jane back and drawing her pistol. Bock shouted a warning. For a moment the leaping figure seemed suspended in mid-air and Jane fancied she could see every detail on his face and uniform. Then two laslock shots broke the spell. Torqas was picked out of the air by the hits and his smoking body landed in a heap at Amelia's feet. Jane cried out again and looked up, heart racing. Ko lowered her smoking rifle. Whiting had a pistol in his hand.  
"Only good one's a dead one," he muttered.  
"About bloody time," said Ko.  
"Thank you, Mr Whiting!" Amelia re-holstered her pistol. "And sergeant, you too."  
"My pleasure, ma'am." Ko's tone sounded like she meant it.  
Amelia looked down at the corpse. "Make arrangements for this thing's removal, along with the others. The rest of you, back to your posts!"  
Heavy running footsteps heralded Arrow's arrival. He came to a halt and looked at the scene, quickly taking it in.  
"Lieutenant?"  
"Mr Arrow. The situation is under control." Amelia turned to him.  
"Are you- is everyone all right?" Arrow lowered the rifle he was carrying.  
"All present and accounted for, thank you. Carry on." Amelia turned her head and saw that the crowd was still there. "I said back to your posts!"  
"You heard the lieutenant!" shouted Whiting. "Move it out! We're not here for decoration!"  
Amelia signalled her thanks as the gathering broke up, Bock seeming to take particular satisfaction in dragging Torqas's body away. She turned back to Arrow. "That goes for you, too, my friend. We can't afford a repeat of this night's performance."  
"Indeed not." Arrow looked grim. "I will make a survey of our position at first light. I fear that our losses may preclude our mounting an effective defence of the stockade against a full-scale assault."  
"I fear I may agree, if our experience was anything to go by." Amelia crossed her arms. Her eyes wandered up the slope of the the colony's central hill to the heavy stone building at the summit. "We will prepare fall-back positions around the town hall. Will that be satisfactory?"  
Arrow touched his hat. "Perfectly, ma'am. Thank you."  
"Carry on, then, Mr Arrow."  
She glanced back at Jane. The human was still standing where she had been, looking down at the patch of ground where the Procyon's body had landed. As Arrow disappeared back into the night, Amelia went to Jane's side and silently took her hand.  
"Are you all right, Jane?"  
"Oh, yes. Absolutely tip-top." But she couldn't keep the tremble out of her voice, and her hand was shaking like a leaf. Amelia closed her other hand around it.  
"It's over, Jane. You're safe again."  
"I know…it happened so fast." Jane swallowed. "And you…stepped in front of me. You saved me."  
"Well," Amelia shrugged modestly. "Credit should go to Mr Whiting and the acting sergeant for that."  
"Yes, but if they hadn't…or if they'd missed…you would have been the one to…" Jane shook her head and squeezed Amelia's hand. "Nobody's ever done something like that for me."  
"I'm here to protect you," Amelia tilted her head to look into Jane's face. "And I will protect you. I promise."  
"So you've proven tonight." Jane looked up and met Amelia's eyes. "Thank you."  
Without really realising that she was doing it, she stepped forward and put her arms around the feline's slender body. Amelia gave a small mew of surprise and checked that nobody was watching them before slowly reciprocating, taking Jane in her arms and feeling the shape of her body. The shakes running through her frame died away and Amelia felt her breathing stabilise. They held each other close for a long moment, a moment of peace after the bloody chaos of the night.  
"There's nothing to thank me for," said Amelia gently. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, breathing in the Jane's scent. She rested her head against Jane's comfortingly. Jane felt Amelia's soft hair brushing against her skin, as light as a breeze. She sighed automatically and relaxed into the embrace, resting against the dark blue of Amelia's coat and feeling the texture of the fabric under her fingertips. Amelia held her tighter before she remembered herself and cleared her throat, standing back and flicking a lock of her hair into place again.  
"Now, Miss Porter, do you still have your satchel?"  
The new businesslike tone in her voice made Jane smile. She stood up straighter and patted the leather bag. "Right here, lieutenant."  
"Then you should carry on as well," Amelia smiled as well. "After all, I have good men and women out there right now who need you."  
"I won't let them down, lieutenant." Jane saluted cheerfully and turned to go, stopping halfway there. "Excuse me?"  
"Hmm?" Amelia looked up, as if caught in the middle of a thought.  
Jane shook her head and smiled. "Nothing. I just thought you said something. Good luck, Amelia. And…thank you again."  
"To you, too, Jane." Amelia watched her go and sighed.  
_After all, I have good men and women out there right now who need you…just like I do._

* * *

As the morning sun climbed above the wall and the sail tower's wings were unfurled to greet it, Amelia pushed open the infirmary door and stepped inside. It was not a scene to gladden the heart. Every bed was occupied and there were even men on the floor, making do with stretchers taken from the camp. Lance Corporal Flower was asleep on the desk, his red coat rolled up and serving as a pillow. Amelia coughed politely to wake him. He sat up, blinking blearily, focused on her and leapt to his feet, banging his knee on the edge of the desk.  
"Good- ow, ow, ow- morning, ma'am."  
Amelia tried not to laugh. "As you were, lance corporal. What is there to report?"  
Flower sighed and waved an arm. "See for yourself, ma'am. They're not all serious cases…but some are serious enough. We lost a couple during the night, too, I'm afraid."  
Amelia winced. "I'm sure you did all you could. Is Ja- I mean, Miss Porter available?"  
"She should be back any minute, ma'am," said Flower.  
There was a knock on the door and Whiting stepped inside.  
"Top of the morning, ma'am. Mr Arrow's respects to you. We're starting to move some of the supplies up to the town hall. With your permission, can we load up the longboats and use them as shuttles? It'd save an awful lot of legwork."  
"Permission granted, Mr Whiting." Amelia smiled approvingly. "A capital idea. One longboat, though, for now. We may be needing the other."  
"Thank you, ma'am." Whiting grinned and left.  
"What's this about moving up to the hall, ma'am?" asked Flower.  
"Ah. As a matter of fact, that's what I need to talk to you and Miss Porter about." Amelia sat on the edge of the desk and waited for a moment until Jane appeared in the doorway, a bucket of water in each hand. Amelia couldn't help smiling at the sight.  
"So you managed to get that water at long last?" she grinned.  
Jane laughed. "The buckets were just where we left them."  
"Glad to hear it." Amelia watched her tip the buckets into a cistern. "May I get a word with you and Mr Flower outside?"  
"Of course, lieutenant." Jane straightened up and put the buckets aside. Amelia stepped outside and waited for the others to join them.  
"As I was saying before to Mr Flower," said Amelia. "We're making a tactical withdrawal."  
"You mean a retreat, ma'am?" said Flower.  
"A tactical withdrawal," Amelia repeated firmly. "We can no longer be sure of holding the outer wall. We certainly can't be confident about stopping another covert raid like last night with our numbers reduced. So we're preparing new defensive positions around the town hall."  
Flower nodded. "Yes, ma'am?"  
"The infirmary will be left outside the new perimeter," said Amelia. "You will need to relocate the patients into the town hall."  
"There's certainly enough space," said Jane. "Have you asked my father about this?"  
"Momentarily," Amelia smiled. "But I need to know if it can be done. Can you move the patients?"  
Flower scratched his head. "Yes…a lot of them can still move themselves. And we can move the more serious cases on stretchers if we have a bit of help."  
"I'll see to it that you get it," Amelia looked around as the first of the longboats rose, laden with supplies and with Whiting at the helm. He waved to her and began steering the longboat towards the low hill at the centre of town.  
"We'll have to move all the bedding up there as well," said Jane.  
"That's why I only gave Mr Whiting one of the boats," grinned Amelia. "Will the other be sufficient to relocate everything you need?"  
"Should be, ma'am," said Flower.  
"Excellent. I'll see to it that it's at your disposal." Amelia straightened her hat. "And I'd better go and consult the governor as well."  
"I'd go with you," said Jane, smiling shyly, "But I'm afraid I should rather start packing my things."  
"As you wish, Miss Porter," Amelia smiled back. "Thank you, the two of you. Carry on."  
Flower stood to attention and saluted as she left. Jane waved and watched her go, still with a small, happy look on her face as she remembered the spontaneous embrace of the night before. She closed her eyes as she remembered the feel of Amelia's body against hers, the comfort and protection in those slender but strong arms…  
"Best get to it, then," said Flower, yawning and rather spoiling Jane's reverie. She shook herself to clear her head.  
"Yes, yes, of course, Mr Daffodil." She disappeared back into the infirmary and began rummaging in the desk. The lance corporal glared for a moment and then sighed.  
"Flower," he muttered.

* * *

Amelia walked up the path to the hall. Whiting had landed the longboat nearby and was supervising the unloading. Arrow had already got off-duty spacers and marines to start digging slit trenches and foxholes on the slope of the hill and she made a mental note to commend him for that. To her surprise she found Archimedes around the side of the hall, enthusiastically sawing up lengths of wood to make barricades.  
"Ah, lieutenant! Good to see you! Hold this, would you?"  
Amelia found a spar waved in her direction. She took hold of it as Archimedes repositioned his saw horse, humming under his breath.  
"Thought I'd keep making myself useful, what," he said cheerily. "Do you know, I think I'm rather getting the hang of this siege business!"  
"Well done, sir," said Amelia. "But-"  
"Ah, yes, I did hear you had a rough time of it last night. That's what you're all doing up here now, isn't it?"  
"That's right, sir, yes," Amelia handed the spar back. "It was on that subject that I wanted to speak with you. With your permission, I'd like to move the infirmary into the main hall area. It's more spacious, and with the casualties last night, your daughter and my medic need the room."  
"Of course, of course." Archimedes waved his handkerchief and began fixing the spar into the brackets. "I'll move my desk into a storeroom. It'll be no problem."  
"That's very kind of you, sir."  
Archimedes began sawing again. "Least I can do, least I can do. I haven't had much of a chance to do this sort of thing, you know. Being a governor rather takes up one's days. I used to do this all the time back on the farm."  
"Farm, sir?"  
"Back home, I used to own a farming estate." Archimedes wiped his forehead. "That's where my Janey got her love for all things furry."  
"I see." Amelia tried not to look flustered.  
"Oh, present company excepted, of course. I mean animals. Veterinary science, you see."  
"Ah." Amelia shifted uncomfortably.  
"Well, I'd better get back to it." Archimedes smiled. "These stockade things don't build themselves."  
"You seem to have a knack for it, sir."  
Amelia touched her hat to him and walked away. She paused by Whiting and waited for him to put down the sack he was unloading.  
"Do you have your glass, Mr Whiting?"  
"Yes, ma'am." He fumbled in his coat for a moment and passed it over. Amelia extended it and scanned the horizon. Whiting stretched his back and joined her.  
"Anything in particular you're looking for, ma'am?"  
"Just trying to see what our former captive might have promised us." Amelia watched the jungle.  
"It might be nothing," said Whiting. "I wouldn't put it past them to try to scare us into doing something stupid."  
"Oh, I don't think we need their help to do that." Amelia grinned. Whiting chuckled.  
"Genuinely, though, ma'am...do you think he was telling the truth? That there's something coming?"  
"Procyons might not be the most trustworthy species in the galaxy," said Amelia. "But their footsoldiers aren't the most imaginative either. I'm not sure that they'd make up something for our benefit like that. Not if they thought that telling the truth would have the same effect." She folded up the telescope. "May I keep this for now?"  
"Of course, ma'am." Whiting nodded. "I'll be working in the removals business for a while anyway."  
"I'd better let you get back to it." Amelia smiled. "I wouldn't want to keep your customers waiting."  
"I do have a rather demanding employer." Whiting grinned.  
Amelia laughed and looked up as the other longboat arrived. Flower jumped off the end, grabbed a training line and began pulling it into a soft landing. The spacers at the helm moved forward, picking up a stretcher and beginning to offload the casualties. Amelia watched for a moment and then set off back towards the infirmary, tucking the telescope into her belt.  
"Are we really retreating, lieutenant?"  
Bock passed her on the way uphill, carrying a sack over his shoulder.  
"Unless you think you can hold the perimeter wall by yourself, Mr Bock?"  
He pulled a face. "I don't like abandoning the town. We built it. This is our home."  
Amelia gave him a confident smile. "And I'm trying to keep it that way, Mr Bock."  
Bock sighed. "Yes...of course."  
"Carry on." Amelia gave him an authoritative look. He sighed again and kept walking. Amelia turned back to town, adjusting the ride of her belt as she walked, shifting the strap higher onto her shoulder as she reached the infirmary. The door was open and Jane was busy piling sheets and blankets outside. She looked up as Amelia approached and put down her armload.  
"Have you come to give me a hand, Amelia?"  
Amelia shrugged. "So what if I have? I just came from the town hall, by the way. Mr Flower got your patients there safely."  
"Ah, good." Jane dusted herself down. Amelia followed her back into the infirmary. Half of the beds had been stripped and Jane was starting on the other side of the room. Amelia moved over to a bed and began taking the covers off it. Jane looked up and smiled.  
"You really don't have to do that, you know."  
Amelia shrugged. "Someone might as well."  
"Yes, but you...I'm sure there's somewhere else you could be," said Jane quietly, moving to the next bed.  
"Perhaps." Amelia glanced up and met her eyes. She smiled slightly. "But there nowhere else I'd rather be."  
Jane blushed and looked down at the mattress as she took the sheet off it and bundled it up tightly in her arms. Amelia went over and passed her the blanket she had removed. Their hands touched under the pile of linen and their fingers instinctively entwined.  
"About last night...in the square, I mean," Jane's voice was soft. "After all the excitement...I was so scared. And then with the Procyon, the things he said..."  
"I understand," Amelia said gently. "It wasn't the easiest of times."  
"No...and then when he attacked me...after that it was like all the tension came out at once and I didn't know what to do, and you were there and it just..."  
"Shh." Amelia squeezed her hand. "You don't need to explain it. And as I recall it, I didn't object."  
"No...you didn't." Jane looked up hopefully. "Thank you...is what I wanted to say. For looking out for me."  
Amelia smiled casually. "Oh, tish-tosh, Jane. It was nothing."  
"It didn't feel like nothing at the time," Jane smiled back.  
They stood together in silence, hands still around each other, until the whine of thrusters outside intruded into their silence and a gust blew the door open. They broke apart quickly as Flower stepped back inside, giving simultaneous awkward coughs as he glanced up and surveyed the room.  
"Oh, don't tell me you're both coming down with jungle flu, now," he said wearily.  
Amelia couldn't help smiling. "Not at all, Mr Lily. In fact," she glanced over her shoulder, ignoring the irritated mutter that provoked, "I've seldom felt better."


	5. Chapter 5

Amelia was impressed at how swiftly the new stockade was erected around the hall in the centre of town. The casualties were moved into the main chamber and made as comfortable as possible. Jane moved her father's desk into an adjoining storeroom and set up her first aid post in there, including her collection of small bottles and a samovar of tea. For the sake of appearances, Amelia insisted on maintaining the patrols on the outer wall and not falling back to the new positions until nightfall.  
"I would rather not give them the satisfaction," she said. "And besides, if they come at us during the day we'll have our best chance of seeing them."  
She was walking the wall with Arrow and pausing occasionally to survey the jungle with her telescope. The afternoon sun was throwing long shadows across the cleared area around the stockade.  
"I'm inclined to agree, ma'am," said Arrow. "A show of strength may be just what is needed to persuade the enemy to hold off on whatever their plans may be."  
"Ah, so you think they're up to something as well?" Amelia looked sideways at him.  
Arrow grunted. "When are the Procyons not, ma'am?"  
Amelia chuckled. "Well, we'll be ready for them whatever it is."  
"Indeed we will." Arrow affirmed. He ducked as the passed underneath the watchtower and the planking beneath them creaked at his weight as they began crossing over the gatehouse. Ko and a spacer were standing guard on the other end.  
"All quiet, acting sergeant?" said Arrow.  
"All quiet, sir," Ko replied. "Too quiet for my tastes."  
"I actually agree with you there." Amelia watched the jungle again. "At least when they were shooting at us we knew where they were. It was when they stopped shooting that the trouble started."  
Ko shrugged. "That, too, ma'am."  
Amelia shook her head. "Patience, acting sergeant."  
"Never been much good at cards, ma'am."  
Amelia and Arrow left Ko to it and walked on around the curve of the wall as it joined onto the northern section.  
"How would you assess our morale, Mr Arrow?" asked Amelia. The big man shrugged.  
"Well enough, ma'am, considering the situation."  
"And the militia's? I ran into Mr Bock earlier today and he seemed less than enthralled about our tactics."  
Arrow shrugged. "I can understand his reluctance to yield ground for which his men have shed blood. But if I may suggest, ma'am, this may make him all the more determined to hold what ground we have."  
"You see no reason to be concerned?"  
Arrow smiled. "In my experience, ma'am, the time to be concerned is when the crew do not complain. If there is something to complain about and they tell you, it means that you still have their trust. If there is something to complain about and they do not, that, ma'am, is when you should be worried."  
Amelia smiled. "Well, if you put it that way...did you hear that?"  
Arrow cocked his head. "Hear what, ma'am?"  
Amelia frowned. "I thought I could hear...in the distance..."  
She concentrated. For a moment there was silence, and then the breeze brought the sound to her ears again. Distant thumping, as if someone far away was dropping something heavy onto a carpeted floor.  
"I heard it then," said Arrow. He looked up. Amelia followed his gaze into the sky and her mouth opened in horror.  
"Incoming!"  
The shell seemed to hang in mid air, snub-nosed and gleaming dully in the afternoon sun. Amelia felt like she could see every detail of it as it fell past them with a sound like tearing silk, landing just outside the wall. It drove a little way into the soft jungle soil before exploding, hurling clumps of dirt high into the air and shaking the foundations of the wall.  
"Ms Amelia!" Arrow called, seeing her drop to the ground.  
"I'm all right!" she shouted.  
The ripping sound heralded the arrival of another shell, this time towards the gatehouse. A third finally fell inside the stockade, blasting the gate off its hinges.  
"They're walking it in," Amelia muttered.  
"That means they must be able to see the fall of shot," said Arrow.  
Amelia was already scrambling down the embankment. "Which means that we should be able to see them! How long was it between the shots and the shells?"  
Arrow paused. "Not long, ma'am. I'd estimate that they're no more than a few kilometres away."  
The wind brought another salvo of thumps to them, and Amelia began running. Arrow jumped down behind her and tried to catch up. She skidded to a halt beside what was left of the gatehouse. The watchtower bell was ringing furiously.  
"Still quiet enough, acting sergeant?"  
Ko was looking deeply annoyed as she lay on the walltop. "I may have to reconsider my earlier statement, ma'am!"  
The shells fell, one of them landing in the middle of the camp and throwing torn tents into the air. The shock of the explosion too Amelia's hat off and felt like a physical blow. She flinched and shook her hair out of her eyes.  
"Mr Arrow, can we spike those guns?"  
"If we can find them, ma'am. I count three firing on us." Arrow rammed his own hat hard onto his head.  
"Very good! Get together what troops you can!" She stood up and headed towards the centre of town. A shell screamed down and hit a house to her left, blowing it apart and sending lengths of timber wheeling through the air. A second hit the ground near the sail tower, shredding one of the sails, destroying the communications hut and sending a spacer's body through the air. Amelia heard the third fall to earth ahead of her with a crash and she braced herself for the detonation, but none came. She dared to relax for a moment and then realised where the shell must have landed.  
"Jane..." she whispered the name and began sprinting, dodging past a stunned-looking spacer. Another salvo arrived and Amelia ducked as a broken spar narrowly missed her as she ran, dirt, stones and splinters falling around her. She slammed into a wall and bounced off, changing direction to face the infirmary. At first glance it was intact, but a ragged hole in the roof of one wing told a different story and Amelia darted towards it, hardly daring to breathe. She kicked open the door and found Jane coming out of her room.  
"Amelia! What's going on?"  
"We're under attack! Come on!" Amelia grabbed her by the arm and hauled her towards the door.  
"I know, but- ow!" Jane was taken aback by her forcefulness. Amelia all but dragged her along and sent her out the door with a push. As she mounted the step and prepared to follow her, she glanced over her shoulder into the other room and saw a dull metallic cylinder embedded in the floor, gleaming ominously in the shaft of light that was falling through the hole it had cut in the roof.  
"Go, Jane! Run!"  
Jane took a few steps and froze, gazing around at the running figures, the shouting, the palls of smoke already rising from damaged buildings.  
"Oh, my..."  
Amelia hit her around the waist and bore her to the ground. Jane cried out and tried to rise, but Amelia pressed her down with her body. Jane gave a gasp and was about to object when the infirmary exploded a few metres behind them. The concussion of the blast punched the breath from her body and left a ringing in her ears. She was dimly aware of the aftermath, of the falling debris pattering down around them, and of Amelia's weight on top of her.  
"Are you all right?" Amelia whispered hoarsely.  
Jane nodded, her mouth dry. "I...think so..."  
Amelia helped her up. "Get to the town hall, Jane. Prepare to receive casualties."  
"I...I will...but are you all right?" Jane tried to look at Amelia's back  
"I'll be busy for a little while," Amelia nodded curtly. "But you need to go. And Jane..."  
She paused.  
"...take care of yourself."  
Jane nodded shakily. "I will...you, too, Amelia. Where are you going?"  
Amelia looked back as an explosion ruffled her hair. "To put a stop to this."  
She headed back to the square and looked up as a shadow passed overhead. Flower's longboat came to a heavy landing and he jumped off it, running to the side of a marine who was lying prone on the ground and clutching his side. A crash made her look away, just in time to see a cloud of smoke rise up around the sail tower and the whole edifice fall sideways. The screech of rending metal drowned out the din of the bombardment for a moment. The frame of the tower cut a house in half and the heavy impact made the ground shake.  
"Lieutenant!"  
Amelia looked up. Whiting was hovering overhead in his longboat and waving to her.  
"Mr Whiting!"  
He pointed northwards. "Siege mortars, ma'am! About eight kilometres distant!"  
"Good man!" Amelia saw Arrow running up, a scratch force of spacers, marines and militia behind him. She looked back up at Whiting and pointed to a clear patch of ground. "Bring your boat down there, then disembark and take command of the defence!"  
"Aye, aye, ma-"  
A shell hit the boat in mid air and Amelia saw the fireball even through her closed eyelids. The wreckage of the boat crashed down with a sickening sound and she coughed as she breathed in the smoke. Shaking her head to clear it she crawled towards the ruin, hauling away a charred piece of sail.  
"Medic! Medic!"  
Flower scrambled over behind her as she found Whiting underneath what was left of the engine and hauled him clear of the debris. Most of him, anyway. Amelia winced at the sight.  
"Mr Whiting! Mr Whiting!"  
His eyes flickered open for a moment and tried to focus on her. Flower knelt beside him and began wrapping a tourniquet around his left sleeve. Amelia backed off in shock and felt a sting across her forehead as a flying shard of stone from another mortar hit grazed her. Instinctively she touched a hand to the spot above her right eye and saw her fingers come away with blood on them. Somehow the sight of it re-galvanised her and she snarled.  
"We may need to borrow your longboat, Mr Flower!"  
"Sally party ready, ma'am!" Arrow arrived behind her, a bandolier of grenades around his chest. Amelia turned and counted the dozen or so men with him before nodding briskly.  
"Board the boat, gentlemen, at once! Time is of the essence! Not you, Mr Bock!"  
The militia leader stopped and gaped at her. "What? Why?"  
Amelia stepped up to him. "Because I need you here, defending your home, just like you said! Find Sergeant Ko. The two of you will take charge of the defence. Is that clear?"  
Bock blinked and nodded. "Aye...aye, lieutenant."  
"All ready, ma'am!" called Arrow from the longboat.  
"Good luck, Mr Bock." Amelia turned and gripped the handrail, swinging herself up into the pilot's seat. The small boat shuddered as the shockwaves from another series of explosions buffeted it, making the sail flicker. Amelia opened the throttle and took the boat out, curving to the north. As she looked back she could see the settlement under fire. Several breaches had already been blown in the outer wall and a score of black plumes of smoke were rising from broken buildings. Figures, tiny already with distance, ran to and fro. Amelia wished she could pick them out, wished she could see one in particular...but then the air above the racing boat seemed to ripple as a fresh salvo arced overhead, a trio of bright explosions blossoming in the heart of the battered town, and she gritted her teeth. She tore her gaze back to the north and gripped the rudder control tightly.  
"Do we have a plan, ma'am?" said Arrow quietly.  
Amelia glanced at him. "You mean aside from the obvious?"  
He smiled humourlessly. "I suppose that's all we need to know."  
Amelia passed him the telescope. "See what you can see, Mr Arrow. We're going to need some better directions if we're to find the Procyon battery."  
Arrow took the instrument delicately between two fingers and put it to his eye. "There's a clearing ahead. About five kilometres."  
"Keep a close eye on it, Mr Arrow," said Amelia.  
Arrow switched the telescope's filters to heat-sensitivity. "It would be easier if we could fly higher, ma'am."  
Amelia shook her head. "We'd lose any chance of surprise. We have to go in low and fast."  
Arrow put the telescope to his eye again. The cool forest showed dark blue through. But from the clearing ahead he could see brighter icons moving. A trio of blinding flashes spiked into the sky and he nodded.  
"That's them, ma'am. Three guns, straight ahead."  
"All hands, prepare to disembark!" Amelia began steering the boat lower, speeding over the canopy so closely that leaves scraped against the hull. "I was a nice, quick and clean dispersal as soon as we're down! Let's do this properly!"  
The defenders in the boat nodded and murmured their understanding. Amelia scanned the treetops for an opening. The clearing would be sure to be heavily defended and the boat would stand no chance of landing there. But nor did she like the idea of trying to land it through the twisted mess of branches and vines. She throttled back to improve the view, and was rewarded with the sight of a canyon in the trees, a clear gap to the jungle floor less than a hundred yards short of the clearing where a mighty tree had fallen and cleaved a path through its neighbours. She hauled on the controls and dived the boat into it, pulling up just above the dead trunk.  
"Anchor out, Mr Arrow!"  
Arrow heaved the longboat's anchor over the side. It thumped into the ground, shortly followed by Arrow himself. The crew left the boat in pairs, Amelia bringing up the rear after shutting down the engines. She landed lightly and looked around to confirm that her party was ready. Arrow passed her a rifle, which she took and loaded expertly.  
"Very good. Let's go to work."

"Er...ma'am?" A spacer pointed nervously ahead of them. Amelia looked up and saw a line of Naztarii warriors emerging from the jungle. Her hand flew instinctively to her weapons, but then her mind overruled her and she withdrew them.

"Hold your fire! Nobody raise a weapon!"

"Ma'am?"

"I said hold your fire!" Amelia stepped forward. The Naztarii were all armed, but their own weapons were being carried loosely in their hands or over their shoulders. "If they wanted to kill us, we'd already be dead..."

"As you wish, ma'am." Arrow nodded to the party. "You heard her, men. No weapons."

Amelia moved towards the group of Naztarii. The tallest of the lanky blue lizards seemed to nod and moved to meet her. As he approached, Amelia could see that what she had thought to be mottled scales was warpaint, daubed onto his body in black and red spirals. They halted a few faces apart and sized each other up.

"Do you speak Standard?" said Amelia.

The Naztarii nodded. "Yes. Am Ke'tos. Warrior Chief of river peoples. I learn from colonials."

Amelia remembered that Jane had said that they had traded with the locals before the siege began and assumed that Ke'tos had picked up the common tongue of the Empire that way.

"Amelia. Royal Navy." She decided that the formal introduction would be wasted and dispensed with it.

"You fight us," said Ke'tos. Amelia couldn't tell if it was an accusation or merely a statement.

"Because you fight us," said Amelia. "Your warriors kill our people."

"You come here to fight again?" Ke'tos asked, his voice descending to a growl.

Amelia shook her head. "Not if we don't have to. We've come to stop those guns. The thunder," she added, hoping that it would suffice as an explanation.

Ke'tos nodded. "Good. We also not come to fight."

"Why are you here, then?"

"I gather warriors from the riverlands," said Ke'tos. "Revenge."

"Upon whom?"

"Procyons," said Ke'tos. "Space Procyons."

Amelia raised an eyebrow. "What's your quarrel with the Procyons? They gave you those weapons you carry."

Ke'tos hefted his Procyon-made rifle and nodded. "Yes. They come to our village long time ago. Give us guns. Say to help us if we help them. If we attack colonials."

"So that's how it all began..." Amelia nodded. "They paid you to attack us?"

Ke'tos nodded. "My people want own land. Our land, not for offworlders. Procyons tell us, more colonials will come if we not attack. Drive us out. So we fight."

"So why have you decided to attack the Procyons now?"

"Procyons lie," Ke'tos said. "More come. More and more. They build own village. Use my warriors. Cause killings. We not wish to share our land with Procyons either. So now...we fight them."

Amelia nodded as she understood. "I see. Well, I can promise you that we...that is, the colonials, will be leaving when this is over. So you'll have your lands back."

"Good." Ke'tos grinned. "Then we not fight you now."

Amelia relaxed. "Well, in that case, I could use your help to attack those guns that are destroying my village. They could destroy yours too, if we don't stop them."

Ke'tos shook his head. "Not enough warriors yet. Not Naztarii way. Must gather all warriors, then attack."

"I don't have the time for that."

The lizard shrugged. "We will gather quickly."

Amelia sighed. "Well...I won't stop you. But I ask you not to stop us, either. We have to stop the bombardment now."

"Good fates with you," Ke'tos made a strange gesture that might have been a salute.

"And good hunting to you," Amelia turned and waved to her party to follow her. "Now, if you'll excuse us..."

But the Naztarii were gone, vanished back into their jungles. Amelia blinked in surprise and shook her head as Arrow joined her.

"Ma'am?"

"It seems we're not the only ones with a bone to pick with the Procs," she said. "But we're still on our own for now. Mr Arrow? Move them out."

* * *

The thunder of the Procyon battery was muffled by the thick jungle, but grew louder with each step towards them. Amelia saw the trees thin out closer to the clearing and began moving at a rapid crouch, ears raised and alert. Procyon voices could be heard barking and obeying orders. She crept into cover behind a moss-covered boulder and peered over it. Three Procyon siege mortars, squat, grey, heavy-muzzled killers on caterpillar tracks, sat in the clearing on a low wooden platform set into the ground. Grey-uniformed gunners laboured behind them, directing a trio of loading droids which were handling the big shells and driving them into the guns. Soldiers, clad in gunmetal armour and helmets, stood around the edge of the platform. Amelia beckoned Arrow to join her as their troops took up position.  
"We can take them from the side," she whispered. "Keep half our force here to provide covering fire. I'll take the rest around to their left flank. On my signal, lay down fire to distract them and we'll move in to take the guns."  
"An excellent plan, ma'am. But with one thing to which I object?"  
"Yes?"  
Arrow grinned. "The part when I am left in charge of distraction, ma'am."  
Amelia grinned. "Very well, my friend. You come with me." She nodded to the group hiding behind a large tree on her right, a spacer and a trio of marines. "As will you. The rest of you will wait here. Pick your targets. On my signal, you may fire at will. Clear?"  
"Aye, ma'am!" Spacer Clasp gripped his rifle. "What will the signal be?"  
"Watch for our fire," Amelia said. "Keep your eyes sharp. Ready? Let's get this done."  
The others began to move, two militiamen taking cover behind the rock as Amelia and Arrow led their group around to the side of the clearing. It was agonisingly slow going, the thick undergrowth and the need to stay out of sight conspiring together. Amelia tried to concentrate on the task at hand, and not to let her mind stray into following the flight of each shell that was fired. Fortunately, she mused, the firing blasts had surely deafened the Procyon guards. She looked around as they crept to the edge of the clearing.  
"Mr Arrow, issue grenades to each man." Amelia watched the enemy. There were only two soldiers on this side of the platform. Arrow emptied his bandolier and handed the last of the grenades to Amelia, who took it gratefully.  
"Use them carefully," she advised. "Remember we're here to spike those guns. Anything else is a bonus."  
"Understood, ma'am." Arrow fixed the bayonet on his rifle and took aim at one of the Procyon guards. Amelia sighted on the other one and took deep breaths to control herself. She watched the nearest robot slide home a shell and then stand back. The gun boomed out.  
"Fire!"  
Arrow pulled the trigger, dropping his target with a clean shot to the chest. Amelia fired two shots to send her quarry to the ground in a heap, and was on her feet and running before the body had fallen over. The thunder of the guns hid the laslock fire and it wasn't until they were halfway there that the Procyons noticed the band of Imperials charging them. There were shouts and heads turned towards them. Blue lightning leapt from the other edge of the clearing as Clasp's party began to lay down fire. The sensible few of the guards dropped to the ground or took cover. The ones who hesitated, torn between Amelia's party and the sudden assault from the jungle, died on their feet.  
"Robot! Forward!" The Procyon gun commander ordered his droid to block Amelia's path. It lumbered forward, raising two hands like giant clamps. Amelia gritted her teeth and rolled between its legs. The massive drum head turned to try to follow her, eyes flickering in confusion. Arrow slammed into the machine, driving his shoulder into it and crushing the metal ribcage. Sparks flew as it staggered backwards and Arrow emptied his rifle into the crippled robot. Procyon return fire began flashing around them and Amelia saw one of the marines collapse before he could get into cover. The enemy gunners scattered as they approached and she fired off a few shots to keep them moving. The spacer knelt against the edge of the platform and began shooting as well, bringing down two Procyons. It gave Amelia the opportunity she needed. Arrow and his two surviving marines took position behind the mortar and began providing covering fire. She swung herself up to the barrel, primed her grenade and dropped it down the muzzle.  
"Fire in the hole!"  
She dropped down again and dived behind the platform. Arrow and the two marines retreated to follow her. The grenade went off deep in the gun's mechanism, sending sparks from the controls. The barrel slumped down towards the ground. Amelia shouted exultantly and waved her force on.  
"One down! Two to go!"  
She leapt up into cover of the broken mortar and began firing. The enemy were beginning to mass their forces, moving behind the guns where Clasp's troops couldn't find them. Amelia flinched as a near-miss produced a shower of sparks from the metal of the mortar, scorching her dark blue coat.  
"Around the front! Around the front!"  
Two could play at the Procyon's game. Amelia's troops ducked around the front of the battery, putting the bulk of the guns in between them and the guards. A panicked gunner burst out from underneath the second gun and took a wild swing at her with a wrench. Amelia ducked the implement and hit the Procyon in the side of the head with the stock of her rifle. The blow connected hard and sent the gunner slamming into the unyielding metal of his weapon. Amelia ignored him as the unconscious body rolled off the platform and made her way to the other side of the gun, kneeling behind the caterpillar track.  
"Grenades! Grenades here now!"  
"Here ma'am!" Arrow put aside his rifle and dropped a pair of charges into the gun. "Fire in the hole!"  
They scrambled for cover again. One of the marines was hit in the arm as he turned and he landed heavily, clutching the wound. Amelia dropped into a crouch below the platform and looked up as a shadow fell over her. A second robot towered over here, smoking from a score of holes blasted in its metal skin by laser fire. Sparks flying from a damaged neck joint it tried to look down at her, but was blown off its feet by the explosion of the second mortar. Amelia shook her head and tried to think past the ringing in her ears. Clasp had led his force out of the jungle and they were now moving forward, kneeling, firing, running. Amelia shook herself again and waved to her remaining troops.  
"One more! For the Queen!"  
They jumped back up onto the platform just as Procyon counterattack came in. Amelia dodged aside and the guard charging her missed her completely and launched himself off the edge of the platform, landing awkwardly and getting tangled up in the broken robot. Another Procyon slashed a sword at Arrow, carving a rip in his red coat before going down under a fist the size of his head. A marine went down, but was saved at the last moment by the spacer's bayonet. Amelia rolled into the lee of the last gun, dropping her rifle and drawing her pistol instead. She loaded it, turned and opened fire on a Procyon trooper who appeared at the edge of the platform, though she never knew if she had hit it or not. She could feel the situation getting rapidly out of control. Her small force was driven back from the platform, one of the marines trying take cover with her but being cut down before he could make it. Amelia gritted her teeth and hauled the red-clad body over to her. She fumbled in the dead man's coat pocket and found the grenade contained there.  
"Ma'am!" Arrow called to her. He had taken cover behind the destroyed robot and, with the last two survivors of the assault party, was trying to hold back the Procyon counterattack, the wounded marine firing with Arrow's pistol.  
"With you in a moment, Mr Arrow!"  
Amelia stood, armed her grenade and lifted herself up to the level of the muzzle. Looking inside, she saw the snub nose of a mortar shell, loaded and ready to fire. A flurry of sparks flew overhead as a shot hit the mortar near her hand. A phalanx of Procyon shock troopers was emerging from the back edge of the clearing, at least two dozen armoured figures moving implacably, guns blazing. She hissed in frustration and dropped the ticking grenade into the mortar. She let go of the gun barrel as it clattered down next to the shell, dropping down neatly in front of the caterpillar tracks and trying to calculate the effect of the shell bursting in the barrel. The answer was not encouraging. She turned to go, throwing herself off the edge of the platform and bracing herself to run as soon as she felt her feet touch the ground.

They never did.

* * *

Jane was sitting at her father's desk in the storeroom of the town hall, drumming her fingers nervously on the top and occasionally rearranging the medicine bottles and first aid equipment which she had set out on a tray. The waiting was the worst of it, she reflected. She had seen to all her other patients and now there was only the waiting. As horrified as she had been at the sight of her first patient, she had to admit that the passing weeks had hardened her to such sights. Now that the shellfire had ceased it was about the waiting and the wondering, worrying about what kind of injury would next be brought through her door and whether she would be able to help. So preoccupied was she with this line of thought that she did not hear the commotion outside as the raiding party returned. It was only when Arrow kicked open the storeroom door that she looked up suddenly. A question died on her lips and was replaced by a gasp of shock as she saw him. The huge man was carrying a slender figure in his arms, head pillowed on a folded blue coat.  
"Amelia! Amelia! Oh, no…" Jane shot to her feet and went to him as he forced his way into the hall, not caring about the effect of the doorframe on his uniform and taking care only to keep the feline safe from any knocks. Jane reached him and reached out a hand and touched Amelia's cheek instinctively.  
"There was an explosion," said Arrow grimly. "One of the Procyon mortars exploded right behind her. Flower and I can handle the other casualties. But you must take care of the Lieutenant."  
"Of course, yes. Put her down, carefully. Over there." Jane hurried back to her table and picked up the tray. She hardly dared to breathe as she carried it over, acutely aware that her hands were shaking so much that the glass bottles on it rang against each other and a scalpel was dancing its way towards the edge. She put it on the bedside table and tried to help as Arrow lowered Amelia down onto the mattress. He was surprisingly gentle for such a big figure and Jane found herself wondering whether he had carried her all the way back himself. It was with some thankfulness that she saw that Amelia's chest was still moving as she breathed and she reached out her hands to take hold of her head. Jane felt her fingers slip between those auburn strands, which felt like silk against her skin, and she shivered to think of how she had imagined that feeling and how unjust it was that she finally felt it under these circumstances. She felt her way around Amelia's head and breathed a sigh of relief.  
"Well, her skull isn't broken at least. That's good. Very good. Was she responsive on the way back, Mr Arrow?"  
"On occasion," said Arrow. "But she has been passing in and out. On occasion I heard her repeating a name, but she was not able to converse."  
"A name?" Jane looked up in confusion, flicking a lock of brown hair over her ear. "Whose?"  
"Yours."  
Jane stared. "Mine? But…oh, my..." She shook her head and bent over Amelia's recumbent form again. With as much care as possible, she turned Amelia's head to the side and lifted the hair from the back of her head. As far as she could tell through the tan fur, a nasty bruise had developed there.  
"Did something hit her?"  
Arrow shrugged. "As I say, Miss Jane, a mortar exploded close behind her. I presume she was struck by debris. But I cannot be certain."  
"It looks to me like something did. Pass me a chill-pack, please."  
Arrow opened the stainless steel refrigeration container and passed one of the blue bags over. "Do you think she will recover?"  
Jane held the pack against Amelia's head. "I don't know. I'm sorry, Mr Arrow."  
"As am I." Arrow put his hand on Jane's shoulder for a moment. "I will be outside assisting Lance Corporal Flower with the others."  
"Yes. Yes, Mr Arrow. Thank you. I'll tell you if you're needed."  
Jane watched him go, conscientiously shutting the door behind him, and turned back to Amelia. She bit her lip and took Amelia's pulse with a careful touch to her neck. It was slow, but not excessively. Combined with her relaxed breathing, it seemed for all the world as if she was merely sleeping. Jane slipped her hand into Amelia's and held it warmly.  
"Amelia?"  
She watched the feline's face hopefully.  
"Amelia? It's Jane…I'm here. You're all right."  
There was no response. Jane shifted the chill-pack further under Amelia's head.  
"You're going to be all right. Do you hear? If you hear me, squeeze my hand."  
Jane tried not to let her face fall when there was no response. She released her hand and reached out to Amelia's collar. She was always so buttoned-up, Jane reflected, and although Arrow had sensibly loosened the collar of her uniform shirt it was still fastened. Jane undid the top button, bit her lip again as she debated with herself, and undid a button or two below that. Her fingers trembled slightly as they went to the small silver buttons of Amelia's white waistcoat and she shook her head to clear it of the thoughts that crowded it. She laid the waistcoat open and cast a nervous glance back to Amelia's face. She cleaned the cut above her eye, took a roll of thin bandage from her pocket and bound the chill-pack to Amelia's head, carefully lifting her hair clear of the strip.  
"I'm going to make sure you're all right, Amelia," she whispered. "I'm here. And I'm not going anywhere else. I'm not going to leave you."  
She took her hand in hers. Under the gloves she normally wore Amelia's hands were surprisingly soft although the skin on her palm and fingers was tougher, a legacy of shipboard life. Jane slid her fingers between Amelia's and held them. Was she hoping for a response, or for something more?  
"I'm not going to leave you," she repeatedly softly.  
A knock at the door made her look up. Flower touched his hat to her.  
"Begging your pardon, Miss Jane, but I'm needing tincture of iodine. I'm fresh out."  
"Oh, yes. The blue bottle there on the tray." Jane waved at it. Flower nodded gratefully and grabbed it, knocking over one of the other glass bottles. The lid came off and some white powder spilled cross the tray. Flower cursed.  
"Sorry, Miss Jane."  
"It's all right. How are you out there, anyway?"  
"Well enough, Miss Jane." Flower shrugged. "They'll all live, at least. How about..?" He indicated Amelia, took a look at Jane's face, coughed and retreated. Jane looked at the spilled powder and heaved a sigh. Her breath caught on the way in and she blinked. A sharp sensation suffused the air now. Picking up the bottle she read the label and realised that it was her bottle of smelling salt. She glanced at Amelia and decided that it was worth a shot. She placed a hand behind Amelia's head to raise it and waved the bottle under her nose. Amelia sniffed the air. Her eyelids twitched and Jane was forced to put the bottle down hurriedly as Amelia's head fell back and she awoke with a start. Her hand moved faster than the eye could see and seized Jane's as she pulled back hastily. Jane gave a cry more of surprise than pain as she felt Amelia's claws digging into her skin.  
"Prepare to…all hands! All…" Amelia's eyes snapped open, staring wildly at the ceiling for a moment before they took account of their surroundings. Her gaze lowered to meet Jane's, and then tracked further down to where their hands were joined.  
"Jane…I…oh, I'm sorry." She retracted her claws quickly. "I didn't mean to…I mean, it's all a bit…where exactly are we right now?"  
Jane smiled with relief. "Oh, Amelia, thank goodness! You're back in town. You're in Naztarville. The town hall. Mr Arrow brought you back. You did it."  
Amelia winced. "I remember an explosion…"  
"Mr Arrow said that one of the guns blew up right behind you. Something must have hit you and knocked you out after that." Jane smiled.  
"Ah? That would explain this then." Amelia's hand explored the bandage around her head and the chill-pack.  
"Yes, I'm afraid it does. It'll have to stay there for a little time, I'm afraid." Jane guided the hand away.  
Amelia smiled weakly. "Telling me what to do, Jane? Are you sure you're not a doctor?"  
Jane laughed, feeling her spirits lift. "Just trying to help, I suppose! You know, Mr Arrow said a funny thing about how he brought you back. He said that, on the way, you kept talking and saying…"  
Amelia raised an eyebrow as she watched Jane's cheeks flush and she stammered into silence.  
"Go on. What did I say? I wasn't still giving orders, was I?"  
"No, no, no, nothing like that." Jane looked down and pretended to straighten the sheets. "He said you kept saying a name."  
"Ah? Whose?"  
Jane tried to look anywhere except at Amelia. "Um…he said he couldn't hear properly," she said lamely.  
"Oh? Pity. Whoever it was must have been important." Amelia chuckled. Jane didn't trust herself to laugh, but she felt her heart skip a beat all the same.  
"Do you feel able to sit up?" she asked.  
"I'm sure I could manage." Amelia struggled for a moment, getting halfway there before falling back onto her folded coat and giving Jane an apologetic look. The other woman tried to hide a small smile and stepped forward to help Amelia sit up, facing away from her.  
"I'm sorry about this, but I need to check for shrapnel…Mr Arrow mentioned that you had been caught by some debris."  
Amelia sighed. "Go ahead."  
She held back her arms to help Jane remove her waistcoat. As Jane's quick, clever fingers explored her back, Amelia found herself relaxing more than she thought possible. She bowed her head and closed her eyes, content to follow her carer's touches from her shoulders down to the small of her back.  
"Can I take this pack off now?" she asked eventually.  
Jane felt it. "Yes, it's gone warm now anyway."  
"My Academy tutors always warned me I was too hot-headed." Amelia grinned. Jane laughed and helped her unwind the bandage. Amelia shook her hair out gratefully. Jane tried not to stare.  
"I…um…" Jane murmured.  
"Hmm?"  
"Um…that is, I, I need to ask…"  
"Yes?"  
"..to ask you…I mean, for medical reasons…"  
"Out with it, Jane. You can say it, you know." Amelia found herself smiling at her shyness.  
"I need you to take off your shirt." It almost came out as one long word, the words tumbling over each other. Jane lowered her head and felt her cheeks burning. It was a perfectly reasonable question under the circumstances, and it was for sound medical reasons…but asking it of Amelia reminded her of other reasons.  
"Oh." Amelia felt her own face redden. It was a perfectly fair question. Microshrapnel could easily penetrate clothing and skin without leaving obvious marks and the very fact that the wounds it caused were so easy to ignore made them all the more liable for infection. Had anyone else asked that question- even Arrow or Flower- she would have reacted differently.  
"I…I won't hurt you." Jane said quietly.  
"Yes…I trust you." Amelia inhaled deeply, steeled herself and drew the shirt off over her head. Behind her, she heard Jane's breath catch in her throat as Amelia bared her back. Jane gazed at her slender frame, at the gentle colours that formed her pattern, the shape of her spine running down the centre.  
"Amelia…" She blinked and shook herself. "Um…I mean, sit still, please."  
Amelia nodded, hugging her shirt to her chest. The air was cool on her back, but Jane's hands were warm against her as they explored her fur, beginning at her shoulders.  
"So...how is Mr Whiting?" she asked, trying not to get too distracted.  
"Stable so far," Jane said. "He's not always awake but he responds well when he is."  
"Good." Amelia lowered her head and sighed. Jane's fingers were parting her fur to feel her skin, moving in small circles to draw the fine strands apart. She drew closer to get a better view, so close that Amelia could feel her breaths.  
"Nothing so far..."  
Amelia gave a sigh. "Now there's a relief. Does that mean you can stop?"  
Jane tutted. "Not if you want this done properly. Am I...am I hurting you at all?"  
Amelia shivered. "To be perfectly honest...quite the opposite..."  
Jane smiled to herself. "Although I'd still rather you didn't get yourself blown up quite so often."  
"It does seem to happen more often than you'd think, doesn't it." Amelia smiled. "But I suppose it's not all bad..."  
Jane felt her blush deepening and she moved her hands further down Amelia's back. To her surprise, the feline sat up straighter and stiffened, her muscles tensing under her skin.  
"Are you all right?"  
"Perfectly." Amelia fought to restore her composure.  
"You're sure you're not in pain?"  
"Is that really something a person could be unsure about?"  
"Then what..." Jane stopped and grinned. "Amelia...you're not ticklish are you?"  
"Shut up." Amelia blushed. "Was that a giggle I just heard?"  
Jane bit her lip. "No, of course not. Now do try to hold still until I'm finished."  
Amelia chuckled and closed her eyes again, holding her shirt tightly. She gasped, sat straighter and almost arched as Jane's clever hands moved to the small of her back.  
"Is it...quite necessary for you to go that far down?"  
"Am I making you uncomfortable?" Jane was surprised at herself for her boldness, but there was something about the opportunity that couldn't be missed.  
"Not exactly..."  
"I just want to be sure that you're safe." Jane slid her hands up Amelia's back and rested them on her bare shoulders. "That you're all right."  
Amelia looked down. "I know...I apologise if that sounded rude. I appreciate your concern..." she turned her head to try to see Jane. "I really do."  
Jane smiled and inclined her head to meet her gaze. "Well...it goes with being your friend."  
"Friend?" Amelia smiled wryly.  
Jane blinked. "Well...I am, aren't I?"  
Amelia's smile softened. "The way we are right now, I'd say you're more than that..."  
Jane looked down, embarrassed, mumbled an apology and began to take her hands from Amelia's shoulders. Amelia's hand landed on one of hers before it could leave, and held it gently.  
"But I didn't say I didn't like that...or that I didn't want that."  
"A...Amelia?"  
"Jane."  
Green eyes focused and cleared. Blue eyes wavered and steadied. A slow smile crept its way across Jane's face.  
"I wondered...but I never knew. I never thought...I only hoped..."  
Amelia's fingers slowly intertwined with hers. "Well. Now you know."  
Jane breathed out and smiled. "I do...oh, Amelia-"  
She was silenced at that point. Amelia, taking advantage of the way her mouth opened to pronounce the last syllable of her name, turned her head further round and kissed her. Jane sighed her assent. The only contact between them, beside their lips, was the hands that held each other on Amelia's shoulder, but Jane felt as if she couldn't pull away even if dragged in chains. Amelia's lips were gentle and inviting, and her fur against Jane's cheek was comfortingly soft. She closed her eyes and lost herself in the kiss for as long as it lasted. Her other hand came up and cradled Amelia's head, those silken strands of hair brushing through her fingers as the kiss became something deeper as their hearts grew as intimate as their lips. It was a revelation, an affirmation, a release.  
"Oh, Jane..." Amelia whispered.  
"Amelia..." Jane's eyes were shining brightly. She raised a hand to stroke the feline's downy cheek, and shivered as Amelia's hand replicated the gesture. Amelia smiled and cocked her head.  
"Well...I'm glad we got that sorted out."  
"Indeed." Jane closed her eyes and enjoyed Amelia's touch. Amelia leaned forward and kissed her again softly. Jane's hand began descending as she relaxed, stroking down Amelia's neck and her bare back. Amelia arched and mewed involuntarily, her lips breaking contact with Jane's for a moment. Jane continued the kiss, her eyes still closed, with the result that she momentarily took Amelia's lower lip gently in her mouth. She heard a small intake of breath and opened her eyes, meeting Amelia's green gaze.  
"I'm...so glad to see you safe, Amelia."  
Amelia smiled. "I could say the same to you. I wasn't sure...with the bombardment...I was worried about you."  
"Oh, I was fine," Jane shrugged. "They didn't shoot at the hall. Just the wall and the town."  
Amelia nodded and sighed. "I'd better take a look at it."  
Jane looked down, hoping her face didn't betray too much disappointment. "Yes...yes, of course you must."  
Amelia watched her for a moment before lifting her chin with a single finger. She smiled at those bright blue eyes and placed another tender kiss on Jane's lips.  
"Thank you," she whispered.  
Jane sighed happily. "Oh, Amelia...there's really nothing to thank me for. Let me help you."  
Amelia smiled as Jane helped her put her shirt and waistcoat back on and then passed her the folded blue uniform coat as she stood up. Amelia pulled it on and gave her a last lingering look. Words didn't seem to be necessary as she turned to go, trying to force the smile off her face. A single look around the main ward, which now occupied the hall, achieved it. Beds, mattresses and stretchers were lined up along the walls in neat rows. Archimedes was moving between them, doing what he could. Flower was kneeling next to the marine with the wounded arm, tending the scorched limb. Amelia looked around until she recognised Whiting and she went to his side. The young canine's left arm ended in a bandage and a patch was tied to the left side of his head over his missing ear.  
"Mr Whiting?"  
His eyes opened slowly and focused on her.  
"Ma'am...has it...has it stopped?"  
"We got them, Mr Whiting. We got them." Amelia patted his shoulder. "How do you feel?"  
Whiting glanced down at the bandage around the stump of his arm. "I fear...that I might miss the next...inter-ship tennis tournament..."  
Amelia grinned. "I wouldn't worry about it. You're a right-hander anyway."  
"I guess I...picked the...right hand to lose." Whiting smiled thinly. "Well...the left hand, at least."  
Amelia chuckled. "You always did have good taste."  
Whiting managed a grin of his own. "You can tell Buckley...that he was right about...volunteering being bad luck, too."  
"You'll tell him yourself," said Amelia. "Not long now."  
Whiting smiled and closed his eyes again. Amelia watched his face but there was no trace of pain or even of discomfort. She moved quietly down the beds, exchanging nods or words with the wounded, before stepping outside. The view did not improve. It seemed like hardly a building in the town was still standing. A field of craters, many still smoking, greeted her. Wreckage was strewn all around the hill. A few figures were moving amongst it, looking for salvageable pieces for the new barricades going up around the hall. She spotted Arrow and went to join him. A look of relief passed over his craggy face as he saw her, but it was soon replaced by professional impassivity.  
"Ma'am," he said.  
"Captain Arrow," Amelia returned his salute.  
"If I may speak freely, ma'am, it is good to see you again."  
"Thank you, Mr Arrow." Amelia surveyed the barricade, trying to stay equally professional herself. "Have you a situation report?"  
"I have asked the acting sergeant to provide a head count," Arrow lowered his voice. "I fear it will not take her long."  
"I fear that you're right," said Amelia. "Did Mr Clasp return with us?"  
"Yes, ma'am. Spacer Clasp is around to the north of the hall."  
"Excellent," Amelia put her hands together behind her. "I'll be needing a second in command of the spacer contingent while Mr Whiting is indisposed."  
"His conduct in the assault was exemplary, ma'am," said Arrow. "I would agree with your choice."  
"And your opinion of the enemy?" Amelia went on.  
Arrow shrugged. "We did not exactly stop to count back at the battery, ma'am. But I would estimate their presence at no less than battalion strength. They have displayed too wide a range of capability for a small force."  
"Infiltrators, artillery and heavy infantry," Amelia touched the cut on her forehead and smiled ironically. "They're making quite the effort on our behalf, aren't they?"  
Ko walked up the slope towards them and touched her hat. "Thirty two, Captain. Ma'am," she added, seeing Amelia.  
"Thirty two." Amelia sighed. "About half of what we started with."  
"There are quite a few walking wounded still in the infirmary," said Ko. "If push comes to shove..."  
"It may well do at that," said Amelia. "Thank you, sergeant. I want every man and woman able to hold a weapon to be issued with one."  
"Aye, ma'am." Ko nodded. "Permission to utilise captured Procyon weapons? There's no shortage of them," she added, grinning.  
"Permission granted," Amelia agreed. "We might as well make use of them. See to it."  
Ko saluted. "Ma'am. Sir." She acknowledged Arrow and moved off.  
"Take care of things here, Mr Arrow," said Amelia. "I'm going to recover a few things from my lodgings. If they're still there."  
"As you wish, lieutenant." Arrow folded his hands behind his back and turned away. Amelia headed off down the reverse slope of the hill. The Procyon shelling had not fallen especially hard on this side, but there were still occasional scars from where the mortars had overshot their intended targets. Amelia passed by the little cemetery, noting the fresh grave markers, including one which had been blown askew by the blast of a shell. She paused for a moment, then bent down, gripped the white cylinder and forced it upright again.  
"No sense in letting the place get untidy," she muttered.  
She proceeded downhill and located the little hut in which she had been sleeping. The door was only hanging on one hinge, but her bag and belongings were still there. She packed away what she had left out and then slung the bag over her shoulder. Stopping to close the door behind her, she looked back up at the sky and wondered where the _Resolute_ was. If it was still there at all. They were alone. They were cut off. They were outnumbered. And while Amelia knew that they could hope for rescue they could not guarantee it. The most they could do was live and hope. It was not an encouraging thought. For the first time since arriving, Amelia felt as if she was no longer in true command of her destiny, to say nothing of those souls entrusted to her command and protection. She had heard her father talk about what he called 'the loneliness of command'. She felt it now, and it felt as if a pit was opening up inside her. But she knew that it was how she reacted to it that determined her fitness for it. She was a sworn Officer of the Fleet, a servant of the Empire. Her duty was clear. In a world of doubt, her duty was the one constant. No matter how other circumstances changed and how much was snatched from her hands, her duty remained the same. The thought was strangely comforting...but there was something else that gave her strength. She lowered her gaze to the town hall atop the hill, its roof beginning to glow in the late afternoon sun. Her mind went back to that perfect moment in the storeroom...that expression of a feeling that was still strange to her but about which she found herself wanting to know more. The memory of Jane's eyes, her lips, her skin, was as real to her as the ground beneath her feet. The way they had breathed each other's names, the way her heart had raced...

Amelia smiled to herself and set off up the hill again. Yes. There was more than duty here.


	6. Chapter 6

Jane, wearing her long yellow dress, was moving through the infirmary, dispensing bowls of hot soup as she went. Flower followed behind her with a carton of hardbread rolls. Whiting struggled upright and took his bowl gratefully.  
"Thank you, Miss Porter." He smiled weakly. "That smells good."  
"It's just powdered stew mix," Jane shrugged. "We can't really do much silver service here."  
Whiting managed a laugh. "Ah, well. I don't know about you, but I come here for the atmosphere."  
Jane watched the canine lap at the soup experimentally, balancing the bowl on his remaining hand. Flower offered a bread roll but Whiting shook his head politely.  
"No, thank you, lance corporal. But I've caused enough trouble without needing dental attention as well."  
Flower grinned. "I wouldn't blame you, sir."  
Jane nodded to the Procyon pistol sitting by Whiting's bedside. "Would you like me to move that for you?"  
Whiting shook his head again. "I might need it."  
"You really think so?" Jane looked up. Ko was on the other side of the room, helping another patient field strip a rifle.  
"I hope not," Whiting shrugged. "The lieutenant knows what she's doing."  
Jane smiled and it suddenly struck her that it had been a while since she had last heard anyone refer to Amelia's rank with the nominal 'acting' prefix.  
"She does, yes."  
Archimedes bustled up. "Still doing the dinner round, Jane?"  
"Yes, father," said Jane. "Almost done."  
"Jolly good. By the way, I found a few things that you might be interested in. I've left them on the desk in the storeroom if you'd like to take a look at them."  
"Where did you find them?" Jane asked.  
Archimedes shrugged. "Around the town. I went down there to have a look around with that big Arrow fellow."  
Jane sighed. "Father, you shouldn't be leaving the fortifications like that."  
"Mr Arrow is a fortification," said Archimedes. "I was in no danger, Jane, I promise. But you should have a look at what we found. Give me the soup, I'll finish the round for you."  
Jane smiled and handed it over. She wiped her hands on her apron as she moved past the beds and into the store room. Her father had left a small pile of salvage on the desk. Jane chuckled to herself as she went through it, trying to imagine how he had convinced himself that some of it might be useful. But at the bottom of the stack, she pulled out a misshapen piece of black felt and brushed the dust and dirt off it. At first she puzzled at it, but then recognised the triangular golden badge on it and she smiled. Swiftly cleaning the rest of the hat, she returned to the ward as her father was spooning the last of the soup into four bowls.  
"That's one for Jane, one for the lieutenant, one for you, Mr Orchid-"  
"-Flower."  
"And one for me," Archimedes finished calmly. "Ah, Jane, back with us. Did you find anything useful there?"  
"Yes, father, thank you. I'm looking for Ame- I mean, the lieutenant. Do you know where she is?"  
"I last saw her going up into the attic, ma'am," said Flower, still glaring at Archimedes.  
"Thank you," Jane stuffed two bread rolls into her pockets and picked up two of the soup bowls, keeping the hat held against her body under her arm. "Will you two be all right down here?"  
Archimedes slurped noisily on the soup and looked up, the liquid dripping from his moustache. He smiled and nodded. "Oh, I think we can manage, eh, Mr-"  
"Flower," said Flower quickly. "Yes, Miss Porter. I'll send a call for you if we need you."  
"Very good, then." Jane let the lance corporal add spoons to her soup bowls and she headed off through a side door. A short corridor led off from the main hall. A set of double doors in the wall were open, but rather than another room being behind them there was just a narrow cupboard. A set of folding stairs came down from the ceiling, revealing the attic space beyond. Jane looked up, smiled and sighed happily to herself, checked her reflection in a small mirror hanging on the wall, and set off up the stairs.

* * *

She emerged into a long room under an angled roof. In the middle, under the highest part of roof where the two slopes joined, it was more than tall enough to stand. As the ceilings lowered towards the floor, however, it rapidly closed in and a person could stand only under the shape of the dormer windows, set into the side at regular intervals. Most of the light in the room came from these windows, although a couple of long bulbs were strapped to the room's longitudinal beam. Jane looked around, remembering the details of the attic even as she closed the door behind her. It had been a long time since she had been up here. It was mainly used for storage, with much of the space was occupied by crates and barrels, both empty and full, pieces of equipment and piles of material stores that had never been able to be used. Motes of dust floated in the light from the windows, but Jane's eye was drawn to the end of the room. Amelia was standing at one of the window, scanning the forest intently with her telescope. As Jane stepped off the stairs and onto the attic floor, causing a floorboard to squeak, she looked around. The tense expression on her face was quickly replaced by a genuine smile.  
"Jane. It's nice to see you…and something smells rather good, too."  
Jane indicated the bowls of soup in her hands. "Well, it's nothing special. But I thought you might be hungry."  
Amelia sighed and folded up the telescope. "Now that you mention it, I could do with a little something."  
"It really isn't much," Jane handed over a bowl. "Just what we could recover. Some of the stores your people brought took a direct hit but it turned out that some dehydrated stew survived."  
"It'll do. Thank you," Amelia blew on a spoonful and smiled. "You're very kind."  
Jane looked down, feeling her cheeks heating up. She put her soup down on a pile of rugs and carpets by her knee. "And, um, there were a few bread rolls, too."  
She produced them from her pockets and passed one to Amelia, who took it and laughed. "Oh, yes. I should have known these would survive."  
"How do you mean?" said Jane.  
Amelia grinned. "They say that a single piece of this bread can keep a ship from hunger for a week. Because that's how long it'll take you to get desperate enough to try to eat it. I'd recommend soaking it in the soup for a while first if you're planning on trying it."  
Jane laughed. "I wondered what Mr Whiting meant about dentistry…that must be why. Thank you for the advice. I'll be sure to heed it."  
"I'm glad. It would be a shame if anything were to happen to you," Amelia gave a small grin and looked down at her soup. "I'd rather miss that smile."  
Jane stammered for a moment and smiled, shaking her head. "Well…if I needed any greater incentive to look after it."  
"I'm sure you won't need any." Amelia coughed and turned back to the window. Jane moved to her side and watched her face.  
"Are you all right, Amelia?"  
"Oh, yes. Tip-top." Amelia shook herself and tried to look serious.  
Jane smiled. "Because I have something here that might cheer you up if you need it."  
"Hmm?" Amelia looked sideways curiously, raising a sculpted eyebrow. Jane's smile widened and she produced the folded black felt from under her arm. Amelia frowned in puzzlement for a moment and then laughed as she took her hat back.  
"Oh, goodness…where did you find this? I thought I lost it by the gate when the bombardment began."  
Jane shrugged. "My father found it, actually. He and Mr Arrow went out to see if they could find anything useful."  
"I bet they were disappointed if this is all they could find." Amelia put her bowl on the windowsill and stretched the hat back into shape. She stuck it back on her head and turned to the window to try to use her reflection to straighten it. As she tried to see herself, she felt a gentle presence behind her. Jane was watching over her shoulder, a smile hovering on her lips.  
"May I?"  
Amelia smiled back and relaxed. "Of course, Jane."  
She closed her eyes and relaxed as Jane set her hat straight, her breath only catching when Jane's hands brushed her sensitive ears. Jane tried not to laugh as they twitched instinctively, trying to flick her away.  
"I'm sorry, Amelia, I didn't mean to bother you."  
"You're not, I promise." Amelia gave a wry expression. "Ignore them if you must."  
"I'll try to," Jane smiled at them. "But they're hard to overlook."  
Amelia felt herself blush as Jane stepped back, leaving her hat perfectly positioned. "Well…thank you for your assistance."  
"Any time." Jane picked up her soup again and smiled with satisfaction. "It does rather suit you, after all."  
Amelia grinned. "I knew there was a reason I wanted that promotion."  
"Ah, of course. You're an acting lieutenant. What does that actually mean?" Jane put her head on one side. Amelia laughed.  
"A cynic would say that it means that I have to do a lieutenant's job on a midshipman's pay. But if I survive this tour of duty and my Captain approves, I get the job permanently and my pay is backdated."  
"You must have done something special to earn it," said Jane. "And to be trusted with a mission like this."  
Amelia smiled modestly. "There was…an incident with a few pirate ships. The ship's Third Lieutenant was killed, so the Fourth took over from her, the Fifth took over from the Fourth and one of us Midshipmen had to be selected to move up as well."  
"Yes, but I imagine you didn't draw straws to see who," Jane watched her curiously for a moment. "So…what did you do?"  
Amelia coughed. "The Third Lieutenant and I had boarded a pirate ship…I had to take command in her absence."  
"You make it sound so easy," Jane sighed. "But I can't imagine what it was like. Living your life out there among the stars...I suppose once I might have thought that it was an adventure but it can't be, can it. Not when it can cost so much."  
"You've been through more than most people have yourself," said Amelia. "And you're still here and still holding your head up."  
"Well, yes, but…I don't think I would be if it wasn't for you." Jane's voice trailed off quietly.  
Amelia shrugged. "The timely arrival of reinforcements is always a help."  
"No, I didn't just mean that." Jane bit her lip. "Or the times when you've saved my life…I mean…that you've been a good friend to me."  
Amelia's hand found hers. "I hope I've been more than that, Jane," she said softly.  
Jane squeezed her hand. "Oh, Amelia. So much more. I never would have thought…but I'm so glad you're here. For so many reasons."  
Amelia smiled and kissed her cheek softly. "As am I."  
Jane sighed happily and turned her head to meet Amelia's lips. They stood holding each other as the last light of the sun began turning a burnished orange outside, making the jungle seem as if it were sculpted of fresh copper. Jane looked out over the trees and hugged Amelia closer.  
"Are you all right?" Amelia looked down at her, stroking away a stray lock of her brown hair.  
Jane nodded, but then sighed again, this time with sadness.  
"I just wish it was different, that's all. If none of this had happened, I'd never have met you…but if none of this had happened, so many people would still be alive. And we wouldn't be facing more death again tomorrow."  
Amelia's eyes widened with concern. "Excuse me?"  
Jane looked up, her blue eyes calm, and she shrugged matter-of-factly. "Well, it's true, isn't it? There aren't enough of us left. The enemy, those Procyons, are too strong. And even if we survive tomorrow…unless your ship comes back, there's no way to leave. It's like that prisoner we took said."  
Amelia shook her head firmly. "Don't start listening to Procyons, Jane. They can't be trusted. He was trying to scare you."  
"I thought that was what the shells were for," Jane smiled. "It's all right, Amelia. You don't have to hide the truth from me."  
"I wouldn't lie to you," Amelia began.  
"I know," Jane rested her head against Amelia's shoulder. "But you would protect me. Like you always have."  
"It's what we came here to do." Amelia closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of Jane's hair. "But I won't lie to you."  
"I don't think you ever would." Jane looked up at her face. "But this is a last stand now, isn't it."  
It was a statement, not a question. Amelia gazed into Jane's blue, unwavering eyes, and sighed.  
"Yes."  
Jane bit her lip. "Is there...is there no hope?"  
"There's always hope," said Amelia comfortingly. "While we live. While the ship is still out there. They'll come back for us."  
"When?"  
Amelia hesitated. "I...don't know. After they left orbit to chase that other ship...I don't know."  
Jane nodded. "Of course. It's the uncertainty...not knowing what our fate will be. And therefore not knowing what we can do to change it."  
"Our best is all we can ever do," said Amelia. "And I don't doubt that you'll do that, just like the rest of us."  
Jane smiled shyly. "Well, I may not do it as well as you."  
"You're just as important," Amelia said softly. "You've done so much for us already. How many of my people would be worse off right now if it wasn't for you?"  
Jane shook her head. "I'm doing what I can. I can't hold a weapon."  
"Not everybody needs to." Amelia stroked her hair. "Not even now. I'll be looking out for you."  
"You?" Jane smiled again. "Don't you have better things to do than keep an eye on me?"  
"If I do, I can't imagine it right now," Amelia smiled back. "But really...if it comes to it...I want you to stay close to me. Let me protect you."  
Jane reached up a hand to her soft-furred cheek. "My astoundingly protective Amelia."  
Amelia blushed. "Well, I..."  
"It's quite an honour," said Jane. "Thank you..."  
She paused and looked down. "I really don't...what you're offering...nobody else has ever said those things to me. I don't know how to say...just thank you. Thank you. For everything."  
"There's nothing to thank me for." Amelia kissed her forehead lightly.  
"You sound so sure," said Jane quietly. "I wish there were more things we could be sure of."  
Amelia shrugged. "I don't know about you, Jane, but I have more than enough that I'm certain of for now."  
"Like what?"  
"My duty. My command. My responsibility..." Amelia gently lifted Jane's face to meet her eyes. "...my feelings."  
Jane caught her breath at the sight of Amelia's green eyes. Her gaze was calm and level, but there was a steel in its depths, a determination. It was a caring gaze and Jane felt somehow safer already, knowing that this young feline was on her side. Through the window, the night sky was clear and the stars were coming out. Something caught Jane's eye and made her pull her gaze away from Amelia for a moment. There was something different- a star brighter and whiter than the others, moving against the darkness of space. She puzzled at it.  
"Amelia?"  
"Hmm?"  
"Do you see..." Jane went to point to the star, but it had already disappeared out of sight, passing beyond the view of the window. She shook her head. "Nothing...I just thought I saw something moving up there."  
"Up where?" Amelia raised her head.  
"In the sky," said Jane. "A moving star. Like when you first arrived and we saw your ship in orbit...I thought I saw something similar."  
Amelia watched the night and shook her head. "I'm sorry...I don't see it."  
"I'm sure it was there." Jane sighed. "Or perhaps I'm seeing things."

"Or perhaps not," said Amelia. "There's no way to be sure...at least of that."

"I know." Jane smiled sadly. "There aren't many things to be sure of nowadays."  
"The one thing I am sure of," Amelia went on in a whisper, "Is that we have tonight."  
"How do you mean?" Jane shivered as Amelia's hand stroked the back of her head.  
"I mean...the enemy won't move against us tonight. They'll save their strength for tomorrow morning." Amelia stepped closer. "Which means that...whatever happens tomorrow...tonight belongs to us."  
"One night..." Jane's fingers touched Amelia's face. "If only it were longer."  
"It may yet be long enough." Amelia took her hand, intertwining their fingers. "You're right about the kind of life a spacer leads. And one of the things that it teaches you is that you need to take the opportunities you have...they may never come again."

Jane smiled. "Especially those opportunities you didn't expect."  
"Especially that variety, yes." Amelia smiled too. "Jane..."  
Jane watched her face as she struggled to find the words. They didn't come, and a look of irritation settled into place instead, but the look in her eyes didn't change. Jane laughed.  
"Oh, dear, Amelia...cat got your tongue?"  
Amelia chuckled and looked up. "I'll try not to take offence at that."  
"No, no, I think I know how it feels." Jane blinked, realised how that could have been interpreted in the context of her previous remark, and spoke quickly to pre-empt the grin that had already started to shape Amelia's lips. "I mean, I know how it feels not to be able to find the words you want. The words to say...to say what you feel..."  
Amelia's expression softened, but she still smiled. "Sometimes words just don't do the trick."  
Jane looked up as she drew nearer. "Sometimes they don't..."  
Amelia stroked a lock of Jane's hair back from her forehead, her fingers staying to trail through the softness of her tresses. "Sometimes...only actions will do..."  
Jane's gaze flickered from Amelia's green eyes to her red lips. "What...kind of actions?"  
Amelia smiled knowingly. "Oh, Jane..."  
Their lips met softly and their eyes closed, letting their other senses take over, two souls together in the starlight, shutting out the war for one precious night of peace.

The rising sun had turned the sky orange by the time Amelia woke up. Her mind swam back to wakefulness and she opened her eyes. She was lying on her back and Jane had turned and was now lying against her, one hand unconsciously resting on Amelia's chest. Amelia turned her head and smiled. Jane was still sleeping, but the light of the dawn was falling against her. A few loose strands of her brown hair caught the light and glowed in tones of copper and gold. Amelia enjoyed the colour and then yawned.  
"Hmm..." Jane shifted. She eyelids fluttered for a moment before they opened. Her blue eyes were dazed for a moment and then they focused. She raised her head and looked around at Amelia, who was watching her affectionately.  
"Good morning," she said.  
Jane smiled. "A very good morning, I think."  
Amelia chuckled and kissed her. "The best I can recall for a long time."  
Jane kissed her back, rolling on top of her. "Certainly one I'll never forget."  
Amelia stroked her hair back, hooking a curl of brown threads behind her ear. "After last night...there's a lot to remember."  
Jane blushed. "Last night..."  
"Was the most beautiful of my life." Amelia kissed her again. Jane sighed with relief.  
"Oh, Amelia...mine too." She smiled. "Mine too."  
"I'm glad I could make it so." Amelia touched her cheek. "You really don't deserve any less, my Jane."  
Jane placed a kiss on the tip of her nose. "Amelia...I don't really know what to say to that."  
"You don't have to say anything." Amelia returned the favour with a small feline lick. "You just have to believe me."  
"Oh, I do," Jane said earnestly, looking into her captivating green eyes. "With all my heart, I do."  
"I meant it," Amelia nuzzled her. "I meant everything last night. Every part of it."  
Jane closed her eyes happily at the words. "So did I. Oh, so did I."  
Amelia felt her heart lift. She pulled Jane's head towards her and kissed her deeply. Jane closed her lips on hers. It was a heartfelt kiss rather than passionate as the night before had been, and it seemed to last much longer.  
"If only we had longer," Amelia stroked Jane's face.  
Jane looked down. "It's all right...I know why we don't."  
Amelia lifted her head and kissed her again. "I'd be here all day if I could."  
Jane laughed. "And I wouldn't object. But it's all right. We'll both be needed soon."  
Amelia threw back the edge of the rug and stood up, quickly gathering up the pieces of her uniform, putting her vest back on and slipping her shirt and waistcoat around her shoulders. Jane sat up and watched Amelia dress, playing with her hat. Amelia grinned as she handed it over and she put it on, carefully adjusting the angle. Jane smiled at the sight of her, once again the smartly-dressed officer. She stood up and began gathering her own clothing.  
"I suppose I'll meet you downstairs soon," said Amelia.  
Jane nodded. "I'll be down there."  
Amelia looked at her and went to hug her. Jane, her dress bundled in one hand, hugged her back as best she could.  
"Thank you," Amelia whispered. "Whatever happens, I'll never forget that night."  
"Neither will I. And I won't forget your words." Jane smiled and touched a hand to Amelia's soft-furred cheek. "It's really all right. Go and do your duty, lieutenant."  
Amelia smiled back and touched her hat with exaggerated formality. "Thank you, Miss Porter. I'll see you presently."  
Jane watched her go, giving a small sigh of satisfaction as she turned back to the window, in time to see the sun rising above the eastern horizon.


	7. Chapter 7

Amelia was still smiling to herself as she left the attic. She went quietly through the corridor until she found the town hall's back door, then set her face impassively and folded her hands behind her back before moving outside and walking around the wall of the hall. Most of the troops were already at the barricade, eating breakfast or passing hot cups of tea and coffee between them. Amelia's command group, such as it was, had gathered next to the chimney block. Ko and Bock were in discussion with the newly-promoted Acting Petty Officer Clasp. Arrow looked around as Amelia approach and gave a meaningful cough that brought the group to formal attention.  
"Good morning, ma'am," he said.  
Amelia acknowledged him and touched her hat to the others. "Good morning, captain. And to you others. Thank you for meeting me here."  
"As you order, ma'am," said Ko.  
"And there was me thinking it was because you liked me." Amelia grinned. "Never mind. Have you all breakfasted?"  
"Not yet," said Bock.  
"See that you do," said Amelia. "I'm going to be counting on you, lady and gentlemen. I can't be everywhere in the defences at once, so you will be my eyes and ears today. Are your people ready?"  
"Ready and waiting, ma'am," said Arrow.  
"And Mr Clasp? We can't see the bluejackets letting the side down, can we?"  
"No, ma'am. Our spacers are prepared." Clasp saluted twice for good measure.  
"And we'll not be giving up now," said Bock.  
"Very good." Amelia cast her eyes out over the forest. "And are we clear on the lines of command? With due respect, Mr Clasp, but as your promotion is only breveted, Mr Arrow will serve as my second."  
"Understood, ma'am." Clasp nodded.  
"And I would have the Acting Sergeant succeed him." Amelia glanced at Ko. "Now, I intend us to hold the perimeter for as long as possible. We have no reserves because we haven't enough troops to guard the line at the same time. Instead I will expect the leaders on the spot to deploy the forces available to them responsively."  
"And if the battle turns against us, lieutenant?" said Bock.  
"If we are unable to hold the perimeter, we fall back to the town hall and continue to defend." Amelia watched their faces. "I am aware of the peril in which this will place our wounded comrades, but all of us here will be sharing the same fate one way or another. We have jobs to do. We've done them so far. I expect that to continue. Understood?"  
There was a chorus of assent.  
"Thank you. Go to your posts. Keep a sharp lookout and advise of anything suspicious or hostile. We're in this together."  
"Aye, ma'am." Arrow saluted. Amelia returned the gesture crisply.  
"And good hunting to you all," she said.  
"Thank you, ma'am." The little group broke up. Arrow stayed behind and gave Amelia a smile of approval.  
"Well. I suppose the game is on now, Mr Arrow." Amelia returned a small smile.  
"Indeed, ma'am. In the very best traditions of the Navy," said Arrow. "We always do enjoy a bit of sport. I was reckoned an excellent rugby player in my time."  
"Imagine my absolute stupefaction," Amelia grinned at the big man.  
Arrow shrugged modestly. "Permission to speak freely?"  
"Granted."  
He smiled. "It's been an honour to serve with you."  
"You're not done yet, Mr Arrow," said Amelia. "We're still here."  
"Of course, ma'am. And long may we remain so."  
"Long enough, I hope," Amelia said. "Last night, Miss Porter remarked that she had sighted…"  
"Yes, ma'am?" Arrow said, after Amelia had trailed off. She shook her head.  
"Never mind. I spoke in haste. To your post, Mr Arrow."  
He touched his hat. "Aye, ma'am. And if you will indulge me a moment longer…you must have slept well last night. You look remarkably refreshed this morning."  
Amelia smiled and rocked on her heels cheerfully. "Anticipation of action, Mr Arrow, no more. Carry on."  
She watched him go and turned back to the front of the town hall. Jane emerged from the doorway, fully dressed and smiled when she saw her.  
"Miss Porter," Amelia's formal greeting covered the wink she accompanied it with. "I trust you and Mr Flower are prepared?"  
"Perfectly, lieutenant," Jane tried not to grin too much. "And I thought you would like some breakfast?"  
Amelia took the warm mug that Jane offered her and looked at the contents. "Very kind of you. Er…"  
"Mashed jamleaf," said Jane helpfully. "It's actually quite sweet when it's done like that in its own juices."  
"Who would have thought that a leaf could be so versatile," Amelia tasted it. "And I do concur."  
"I'm glad you like it." Jane smiled for a moment and looked around the barricade. "Is…is anything happening out here?"  
"Not yet." Amelia stepped through the door and took an Imperial rifle from the stack just inside. "But we'll be ready when it does."  
Jane watched her adjust the sling of the weapon as she put it around her shoulders. "Do you think that…what I saw last night. The star. Do you think it should give us hope?"  
Amelia looked into Jane's eyes for a moment and shrugged sadly. "I wish I could say, Jane. I don't wish to give anyone false hope."  
"Of course, naturally. But…"  
"Is it possible? Yes, I suppose it is." Amelia shrugged again. "I don't want to promise that which is beyond my powers to ensure."  
"I know you never would," said Jane. Amelia gazed at her for a moment and sighed at the look on her face.  
"Oh, Jane," she said, softly enough for only her to hear, wishing that they had the privacy to touch the way she wanted to. "Keep your chin up. No matter what."  
"No matter what." Jane looked up and smiled bravely. "Good luck out there, Amelia."  
"Here's hoping we won't need it." Amelia smiled back. "But…good luck to you, too. Be careful."  
"I will."  
Jane crossed her arms as Amelia turned and closed the door behind her. A small smile still played on her lips as she went to make ready her satchel.

* * *

Amelia headed towards an unmanned section of the barricade overlooking the northeast. Archimedes was moving along the line, his gold chain of office around his shoulders, pausing to talk to any of the militia he encountered. The strict demarcations which had existed after the Imperial arrival no longer existed. Militiaman, spacer and marine now mingled together according to comradeships that had been formed under fire and if any particular part of line had more of one group than the others it was largely coincidental. Amelia took up position behind a heavy table set on its side, the legs pointing outwards and sharpened to spikes by some industrious defender. Archimedes saw her and ambled over. Amelia couldn't help but smile. While she, like most of the others, had to kneel to stay out of sight, Archimedes was wandering along quite happily, his bushy eyebrows probably the only part of him visible to any enemies paying attention.  
"What ho, lieutenant," he said. "Nice day for it?"  
"Nice day for what, sir?" Amelia touched her hat to him.  
Archimedes blinked. "Why…whatever it is that has to happen today, I suppose."  
Amelia looked up at the sky. "I think we can manage, sir, yes."  
"Capital, capital." Archimedes adjusted the ride of the chain of office. "One nice thing about this new position is that it takes one hardly any time at all to see it."  
"Yes…I suppose that's an advantage." Amelia tried to keep her face straight.  
"I just thought I should go around and have a word with the chaps," he went on. "I suppose I should let you get on with it."  
"Thank you, sir."  
"I'll be inside if I'm needed." Archimedes pointed to the hall. "I think I'll roll up my sleeves and give my daughter a helping hand."  
"I'm sure she'd appreciate it, sir. We may need all the help we can get."  
"Of course. Of course." He stood on tiptoe to see over the table. "Well. Off I go, then."  
Amelia nodded to him and took out her telescope. Archimedes paused as he walked away and turned back.  
"Oh…and lieutenant?"  
"Sir?"  
"Be careful, won't you all? And give the bastards hell when they come."  
Amelia looked at him and saw that his normally cheery countenance had turned serious. Twinkling eyes focused on her like rangefinders. She gave him a formal salute.  
"Yes, your excellency. We will."  
She saw him leave and raised herself up to look over the barricade. The forest was quiet. A haze of smoke still hung over the shattered township from craters and piles of debris where it was still smouldering. She unfolded the telescope and put it to her eye, panning it across the outer wall and watching carefully for any movement in the breaches. A shadow fell across her as Arrow ducked into cover at her side, folding himself almost double to stay out of sight.  
"No movement on my section, ma'am. The acting sergeant and petty officer report nothing, as well."  
"I suppose I should be glad of that," said Amelia. "But I've become accustomed to thinking that it's best to have the Procyons where we can see them."  
"They will have to reveal themselves sooner or later," said Arrow. "Although our vision from here is impeded by the outer wall, we at least can monitor the breaches more easily."  
"Quite so. And if they try scaling the walls they will be in the open." Amelia looked towards the ruined gatehouse. "Our position could easily be worse."  
"Aye, ma'am. A blind man would be glad to see a position such as this."  
Amelia looked up and then around, an eyebrow raised. "Was that a joke, Mr Arrow?"  
He shrugged and grinned. "Or an observation, ma'am. Whichever would be more useful at this stage."  
Amelia laughed and shook her head. There was a scuffling sound behind them and a marine arrived, carrying his round hat underarm. He jammed it back on hastily and touched the brim.  
"With your pardon, ma'am. Sir. Mr Bock has sighted movement to the south and east."  
Amelia folded the telescope. "I will be there momentarily. Mr Arrow will remain here."  
She followed the soldier around the arc of the barricades in a crouch, trying to remain out of sight. Bock was kneeling behind a salvaged door and staring intently over it. He beckoned Amelia over as he saw her approaching.  
"What do you see, Mr Bock?"  
He pointed towards a gap in the outer wall. Intervening buildings prevented a clear view, but Amelia put the telescope to it anyway, eyes alert for anything out of place.  
"It was just a flicker," Bock said. "The sort of thing you see out of the corner of your eye. I wouldn't have paid attention to it if it hadn't happened again. Like something moving through the gap and into the lee of those houses there."  
Amelia keyed in the telescope's thermal filters, which revealed nothing other than a small fire burning in one of the structures. She switched back to standard optics just in time to catch the sight of a grey-cloaked figure darting through the gap and disappearing behind the wall of the nearest house. Bock heard her sharp hiss of breath.  
"So you saw it, too?"  
"I did indeed." Amelia watched closely. "There couldn't be many of them. Perhaps an observer team or forward scouts."  
She snapped the telescope shut again. Bock looked down the hill nervously. "Do you think they'll have a go at us?"  
"Eventually. Perhaps not now, though. In the meantime, keep a close eye on them. And watch the walltops as well." Amelia narrowed her eyes. "If you-"  
"Ma'am! Ma'am!"  
Clasp was waving to her from the other side of the perimeter. Amelia sighed, guessed with a certain inevitability what was happening and got up to go.  
"If they present a target, take the shot," she said, in parting. "No sense in letting an opportunity go to waste."  
"I agree." Bock loaded his laslock and charged it. Amelia scrambled over to Clasp's section of the line. Ko was there as well, sitting with her back to the barricade and observing the scene below with a piece of broken mirror wedged between the barrel and bayonet of her rifle.  
"Let me guess," she said. "Enemy sighted, but no clear sight of them. Small numbers, staying well hidden just inside the outer wall. Yes?"  
Clasp gaped. "How did you know that, ma'am?"  
"Because that's exactly what's happening where she just came from," said Ko grimly.  
"Quite so," Amelia peered through the telescope again. "They're putting the noose around our necks, but they're not ready to draw it tight."  
"It's the sudden drop that bothers me," said Clasp, fidgeting with his cutlass hilt.  
"The sudden drop isn't your problem," grinned Ko. "It's the sudden stop at the bottom."  
"Thank you, acting sergeant," Amelia glanced sideways at her. "Your insight is most valuable."  
"Not too much gallows humour, ma'am?" Ko grinned again but sobered at another stern glance from Amelia. Gunfire sounded back from the direction of Amelia's original position, making her look up sharply.  
"Hold your ground here," she hissed to Clasp and Ko. "Don't give them anything to shoot at."  
She began moving along the line again. A second series of gunshots rang out, truncated by Arrow bellowing an order to cease fire. Amelia reached him just as he was berating an unfortunate spacer.  
"Don't fire until you see a target! All you will do is give away your position! You will hold your ground and you will hold your fire, until you are told otherwise! Am I clear?"  
"Y-yes, sir!"  
"Situation, Mr Arrow?" said Amelia.  
Arrow gave the spacer a last glare. "Movement by the gate, ma'am. Procyon skirmishers taking up position."  
"It's the same on the other sides," said Amelia. "Damn them. They'll force us to spread out to cover all angles and then pin us down. It'll be that blasted sniping business all over again. And while we're distracted…"  
"They'll bring in the shock troops," said Arrow. "I concur, ma'am."  
Amelia cursed under her breath. "I suppose there aren't that many of them…what if we divide our attention? Odds and evens. Every second man will watch for the skirmishers. The rest stay out of sight and keep their eyes on the wall and on the breaches for the main attack."  
Arrow smiled. "An excellent plan, ma'am."  
Amelia smiled back. "I'm glad you approve, my friend. Pass the word around."  
"Aye, ma'am." Arrow began passing the order. Amelia poked her head above the heavy table again and looked down to the gatehouse. Occasional flickers of movement could be seen as grey figures darted forwards into the town, moving too quickly for anyone to take proper aim. She guessed that the spacer who had incurred Arrow's wrath had attempted to engage them. She looked over at him, sitting behind a line of barrels and looking distinctly nervous.  
"Courage, man," she said, putting on a confident grin. "No point in wasting your fire at this range. Let them get a bit closer."  
The spacer nodded. "Aye aye, ma'am. A bit closer it is."  
"What's your name, spacer? It's Dorran, yes?"  
He nodded. "Yes, ma'am. Amil Dorran, Spacer Second Class."  
"We'll see about that last part when we get out of here, Dorran. Now stand to your post."  
Dorran nodded again and sat up, preparing his rifle. Amelia looked back over the table as the first of the Procyons reached the ruined camp, taking cover behind the wreck of Whiting's longboat. She unslung her rifle and checked the magazine. The enemy skirmishers were picking their way between shell holes and debris piles, moving forward slowly but inexorably. Soon they would run out of cover, reaching the line of burnt-out houses that lined the unofficial path from the hall to the square. The path was open and offered little cover aside from the odd errant crater. She armed her laslock and look up a firing position.  
"Show yourselves, you devils," she muttered.  
Shots came from Bock's section of the line, red tracer flashing overhead and meeting blue coming back the other way. Almost simultaneously, Ko and Clasp came under fire. There was the sound of shattering glass and Ko gave an exasperated shout.  
"That was my bloody mirror!"  
Their troops began returning fire. Amelia had turned to see how heavily they were engaged when shots began hitting the table, scorching holes in the thick wood.  
"Odds, stay down! Evens, return fire!" She sighted down the barrel of her rifle, picked out a target in one of the wrecked houses, and opened fire. Half of the defenders were now shooting back. A red pulse flickered overhead and chattered the dormer window Amelia had stood in with Jane just the night before. The thought made her grit her teeth and take renewed care of where she was placing her shots. Dorran yelped and fell to the ground, clutching at his neck.  
"Medic! Medic over here!"  
Amelia scrambled over to check on him. He was lying on the ground, a hand clasped to the side of his throat, blood oozing between his fingers. She tore off her cravat and knelt to try to staunch the bleeding. Running footsteps made her look up as Flower arrived, Jane and her satchel close behind.  
"Jane! I mean, Miss Porter, what are you doing out here?"  
"The best I can!" Jane replied briskly.  
"We need a gauze pad," said Flower. "Now listen here, spacer. I'm going to have to ask you to move your hand."  
Amelia looked away and took up her rifle again, firing down the hill. She could hear Flower talking behind her as he worked with a pair of long silver tweezers.  
"You've been lucky there. The splinter missed an artery by about half a centimetre. No, don't get up. Stay still."  
She glanced down and watched Flower using her cravat to bind a gauze pad to the spacer's neck. It struck her as the best use that part of her uniform had ever been put to. Procyon fire was now hitting the barricade hard, and another defender further along the line went down with a scream. Flower swore and glanced to Jane.  
"Can you handle this?"  
Jane nodded and took over, taking the strip of rough black silk in her hands with far less grace than she had done the night before. Flower picked up his pack and made his way towards the latest casualty in a half-crouch.  
"You're going to be all right," said Jane. "Trust me. Now, breath out.  
Dorran did so. Jane pulled the cravat sharply tight and tied it off. The spacer gasped for a moment and swallowed, turning his head experimentally as if worried that it would fall off.  
"Well, spacer? How about it?" Amelia grinned.  
Dorran nodded. "Could be worse, ma'am." He reached out a bloodied hand, picked up his rifle again and returned to the barricade.  
"Good man," Amelia nodded approvingly. "And you'd best get out of here, Miss Porter."  
Jane gathered up her satchel and hesitated. "I…I don't know whether I can."  
Amelia turned and saw why. The Procyon fire had intensified and most of the shots that went over- or through- the barricades went on to hit the stone of the town hall or to pockmark the open hillside around it. It would be a matter of luck whether anyone could make it to the safety of the doorway. She cursed again.  
"Damn! Well, stay close to me, then. And stay out of sight."  
"I think I will, yes!" Jane took cover beneath the barricades, trying not to flinch when Amelia and the wounded spacer fired their laslocks on either side of her.  
"Reloading!" Amelia put up her rifle for a moment to eject a spent magazine and insert a new one. As the weapon whined into life once again she looked down into the town. More grey figures were starting to advance through the breaches in the outer wall, moving slowly and with deliberation. She put the laslock aside for a moment and opened her telescope to confirm her suspicions. Procyon shock troops in full battle armour were starting to take up positions behind the thin line of skirmishers. The sunlight glinted off angular helmets, breastplates and long, serrated sword bayonets. A few of the larger Procyons were carrying broad tower shields which they set up in front of their marshalling points to ward off any errant shots from the defenders.  
"Well. At least we can see them now."  
"See who?" Jane looked up. Amelia handed her the telescope.  
"You can see for yourself, Miss Porter. But be careful."  
Jane crept to the edge of the table and peered through the telescope in between a crack in the barricade. Her breath caught.  
"There's…rather a lot of them, isn't there?" she managed.  
"There'll be a lot fewer by the time they get up this hill," said Amelia determinedly. She picked up her rifle again and fired a volley towards a group of shock troops who had not taken sufficient cover, sending them scattering. That earned her the attention of a cluster of skirmishers and she was forced to duck into cover next to Jane as a hail of red bolts chewed chunks out of the oak table. Charred wood fell around them and she looked over at Jane, who was sitting with her arms around her knees, staring almost straight up into the sky as if watching a high-flying bird.  
"Are you all right?"  
Jane blinked and nodded to Amelia. "Oh, yes. Yes, I'm fine, thank you."  
"Keep your head down," Amelia reached out and touched her hand briefly. Jane smiled, and as Amelia withdrew her hand she took hold of it and squeezed it fondly.  
"I'm just fine, Amelia. I promise."  
Amelia smiled and stood up again. A shot hit one of the sharpened table legs, blowing it off. Amelia ducked as pieces of it flew overhead and looked around the town below. Procyon soldiers were beginning to form up tightly behind the shieldbearers. The groups were still widely separated, but a quick mental calculation suggested that, as they converged on the hilltop defences, they would be able to present an unbroken shieldwall. They were running out of time. She raised her voice.  
"Odds will stand and engage enemy line infantry! Fire at will!"  
The half of the defenders who had still been in cover, stood up, levelled their rifles and began shooting. The sudden doubling of the volume of fire from the barricades seemed to take the Procyons by surprise as their own shots were briefly confused. A few grey-clad shock troopers who had thought themselves safe from the attention of the Imperials were proven very wrong and there were cheers from the defenders whose rifles found their targets. The Procyons, however, quickly recovered their composure and began laying down a serious fusillade. A half-circle was blown in the edge of the table and Amelia was forced into cover beneath it. A marine further along the line was hit and staggered to the ground, Ko calling for a medic. Amelia saw Flower on the far side of the barricade, already tending to a casualty.  
"Can you get there, Jane?" she said.  
Jane, who had been staring up into the sky again, gathered up her satchel and nodded briskly. "Yes. I'll be right there."  
"Stay low," warned Amelia. "It's getting rather spirited out there."  
Jane smiled at the understatement. "I'll try."  
"Good luck." Amelia touched her shoulder and smiled. She watched Jane leave, moving at a crouch behind the higher parts of the barricade and going on all fours for the low sections. She stood up, propped her rifle in the crevice blown out of the table and fired a couple of shots at the Procyon troops massing at the base of the path up to the town hall. Both scintillating blue bolts hit one of the armoured tower shields, leaving scorch marks but achieving little else. She hissed between her teeth and tried to find a better target, picking out a skirmisher firing from the corner of a broken window. She fired and watched in satisfaction as the figure disappeared out of sight.  
"Ma'am?" Dorran was looking nervous at the sight of the force forming up in front of them.  
"Hold your ground, spacer," Amelia said. "We're not done yet."  
A roar went up from the Procyons and the shock troopers began to advance, moving methodically, never breaking formation, the shieldbearers in the lead. As they came forward they obscured the view for their own skirmishers and there was a moment of respite from the unrelenting enemy fire as the skirmishers began leaving their cover, forming loose groups in between the rigid shield formations. They hugged the ground and moved evasively, but a number of them didn't move low or fast enough and were cut down. The rest began returning fire as best they could while trying to keep up with the main attack. The defenders were well behind cover, but their barricade was not sturdy and every now and then a Procyon shot found a target, thinning the Imperial ranks still further.  
"All hands to target the assault parties!" called Amelia. "Aim carefully now! Make every shot count!"  
She looked behind as her order was passed around. The windows of the infirmary were now occupied and Amelia smiled as she saw Whiting, his captured pistol in his one remaining hand, directing the preparations. Amelia was sure that she even saw Archimedes taking up a position in a window, an antique hunting rifle in his hands. Broken windows were swept clear with rifle stocks and the main door was opened, ready for the defenders at the barricade to fall back to. Amelia turned again to the front and braced her rifle.  
"Fire!"  
A hail of shots hit the shieldbearers, most achieving nothing. Enemy fire lanced back and a couple of the defenders fell. Amelia thought for a moment.  
"All hands will fire to port side angle! At will!"  
It was clear the shooting at an oncoming shieldwall was futile, but the defenders did not have to shoot straight ahead. On her order, the spacers and marines began aiming instead at assault groups on their left, whose flanks were difficult targets but which were not fully protected. Bock shouted to the surviving militia to do likewise. The tactic soon yielded results. A handful of Procyons fell, dead or wounded, a couple of fallen shieldbearers opening breaches in their protective line and exposing the shock troopers behind them. A formation that had been advancing on Arrow's position suffered heavily as two shields were dropped and he directed volleys into the gap. A few holes were made in the shieldwall advancing up the pathway, but they were too quickly plugged. Amelia cursed and cast around for an idea, her eyes falling on the barrels behind which Dorran was sheltering.  
"Spacer! Give me a hand with one of these barrels?"  
Dorren stared. "What? I mean, what, ma'am?"  
Amelia grinned and beckoned to a marine nearby. "We're going bowling. Come along, Private, lend a hand also!"  
The three of them lifted one of the barrels laboriously, resting it atop the others. A shot flashed past Amelia's head and she tried to ignore the tang of ozone from the burnt air, as well as her singed hair. She nodded to the others.  
"Ready? One, two, three!"  
The barrel was launched downhill and they snatched up their rifles as it skittered from rock to rock along the path, building up speed. It hit square in the middle of the base of one of the shields, forcing the carrier to stumble. The Procyon tripped over the barrel and went sprawling on the ground.  
"Fire!"  
Amelia, Dorran and the marine blazed away at the gap, their rifle fire slicing into the densely packed shock troops behind it. Other defenders took the opportunity to do likewise. Amelia grinned. But she knew it was a temporary success. Soon the Procyon shieldwall would be complete, thwarting the off-centre firing tactic, and they only had so many barrels.  
"All hands, fix bayonets!" she shouted, triggering and locking hers as well as checking that her cutlass was close at hand. "Lieutenant! Lieutenant!"  
She turned to see Whiting standing in the doorway of the town hall, waving.  
"Not yet, Mr Whiting!" she shouted. While they could not possibly fight off the combined assault groups in hand to hand, she did not intend to fall back just yet. But as she looked again she saw that he was actually pointing. Pointing up. She remembered that Jane had been staring at something above them as well, and finally she raised her head to see what the fuss was all about. When she saw, she gave a wild, exuberant laugh.  
"What's so funny, ma'am?" Dorran gave her a confused look. Amelia flashed a grin and pointed up.  
"It's the _Resolute_, Mr Dorran! She's back!"  
Still high above them, small but growing, a comet was descending vertically towards them. Wreathed in a cone of vapour and the blaze of its ventral thrusters, sails billowing madly and glowing with energy, the warship was an impressive and very welcome sight. There was a faint sound like tearing fabric in the air as the big ship's engines strained to arrest the downward momentum, but the sound was getting louder by the second. Amelia turned back to the advancing enemy, feeling a renewed hope. She brought her rifle to her shoulder and fired on the shieldwall marching up the pathway. As the Procyons approached they again began cutting off the field of view of their skirmishers, who were squeezed between the phalanxes and were forced to give up and fall in behind them. Amelia glanced up at the shape of the _Resolute_, trying to estimate whether she would be in range in time. The ship passed over the sun, throwing a brief shadow across the hill. Confused defenders and attackers alike looked up, and reacted with a mix of emotions. There were cheers from some of the defenders, but the Procyon advance wavered. Amelia could hear the shouts of their officers but couldn't make out what the orders being given were  
"All hands, hold your positions!" she called. The last thing they needed now was anyone panicking or getting over-excited.  
Jane scrambled back over and took cover next to her.  
"What are they doing?" she asked.  
"It's called an orbital drop," Amelia said, ducking down for a moment. "They're flying the ship down from space. Old Captain Forsythe must be in a hurry!"  
Jane stared. "Can they do that?"  
"Theoretically, yes," Amelia shrugged. "We practised it a couple of times in the Academy. Never seen it done, though."  
"Will it work?"  
"Hopefully!" Amelia grinned and stood up again. The Procyon line was starting to buckle in places as more and more of them saw the warship above. The roar of the _Resolute_'s engines was growing louder now and Amelia could make out the colour of the hull, visible in between the billowing clouds of steam and pressurised air and the bright flames of the thrust exhausts. She was decelerating perceptibly now, although the drama of her approach was no less. The Procyons held their ground for a few moments more, rifle and pistol fire still splashing off their shields or occasionally finding a gap in the wall, but then they began retreating back down the hill. Amelia had to double check to be sure, but inch by inch they were now withdrawing. There were more cheers from the defenders, although their words were starting to be lost in the din of the ship's arrival. The blast of the thrusters was starting to kick up dust Amelia had to straighten her hat as it was blown askew.  
"Maintain fire!" she ordered. "Secure the barricades!"  
Jane looked up at the ship. It seemed absurd that something that size could fly, but fly it most certainly was. As it braked to a hover the clouds that masked it dissipated and she was able to see the ivory hull in all its glory, albeit blackened in places by thruster backwash, trimmed in blue and gold, starboard side facing her. Two longboats appeared over the deck railing, swung outboard on long winches. Below them, black squares opened up in the bright timber as gunports opened. The barrels of the ship's broadside batteries were run out and angled down. The wind created by the thrusters rose as the ship lowered itself into a stationary position some twenty metres above the town hall. Slates from the hall roof, dislodged by the wash, crashed to the ground. Jane hunkered down and tried to protect her face, not wanting to take her eyes off the magificent ship but not wanting to risk the hurricane of dust being whipped up. Every blade of grass remaining on the hilltop was lying flat, rippling in the pressure waves. It was like facing into a storm and she had to put her handkerchief over her nose and mouth simply to breathe properly. Amelia knelt next to her, shouting to be heard.  
"Are you all right?"  
Jane nodded. "I think so!"  
"Well, I'd block your ears if I were you. I think they're going to-"  
The end of the sentence was lost as the first of the _Resolute_'s guns opened fire. An answering explosion erupted on the hillside, well clear of the barricades but close enough that Jane felt the shockwave like a physical blow. A second gun fired, then a third, then a fourth, and Jane could tell from the sound that the port guns were firing as well, getting the range. She shuddered at the fury of the fire and was about to say something to Amelia when there was a thunder like the end of the world as the ship-of-the-line fired both broadsides at once. Jane screamed and fell into Amelia's arms as the air was pummelled around them by concussion. Amelia held her tight, held her head against her shoulder, rested her head against hers. Jane could hear that she was whispering comforts to her but nothing could be heard over the din that filled the universe. Not even the height of the Procyon bombardment could equal the violent intensity of what was now being unleashed. Dirt pattered down around them as the hillside was torn apart by the barrage. Amelia looked up as the smoke cleared to see the two longboats detach from the ship and begin heading down to land, packed with figures. Glancing briefly behind her she saw a scene of chaos as stunned Procyons fled the devastated hillside, harried on their way by small arms fire from the defenders. The roar of thrusters and the force of the wash died away as the _Resolute_ shut off her engines and hovered on the power of her grav-turbines, now turning on the spot, firing her reloaded guns one by one, picking off targets of opportunity. The flashes of the discharges and the thunder of the impacts were almost simultaneous. The longboats glided down to land and their crew began piling off immediately, spacers and marines fresh to the fight. Amelia recognised Commander Chad directing them into position, and Midshipman Dunn was one of the first to the line. Midshipman Buckley led a party of armed spacers towards Amelia, lining them up along the barricade as fire from the ship's heavy guns whistled overhead.  
"Hold fast to the line there, and secure the position! Keep your heads down!"  
Amelia grinned at him. "You certainly know how to make an entrance, Mr Buckley."  
He grinned back and tipped his hat to her. "We like to make an impression, ma'am. I'm glad to see you safe."  
"Not as glad as I am," Amelia said, returning the salute.  
A gun boomed out overhead. Jane looked up from Amelia's arms.  
"Is it…are we…are we safe now?"  
Amelia smiled. "Yes, Jane. Safe at last."  
Jane smiled in return, flinching slightly as the _Resolute_ fired again. She squeezed Amelia's hand secretly. "At last…"  
Amelia stood up and watched Procyon retreat become a rout as they tried to flee the vengeful warship that was now hovering above them. The last of the grey-clad figures disappeared into the ruins of the town and slipped through a breach in the battered outer wall, vanishing back into the jungle. All around, her spacers and marines were shaking hands and hugging their newly-arrived comrades, cheering, clapping and whooping in celebration. Bock wandered over to the front of the town hall and sat down, tears lining his face as he looked up at the ship overhead. Archimedes darted out of the hall and surprised Chad by shaking his hand so hard that it knocked the commander's hat off. Amelia laughed at the sight as Chad prised himself free and watched in puzzlement as the little old man danced a jig. Arrow loomed behind her, a smile on his craggy face.  
"It would appear that we are delivered, ma'am," he said.  
"So it would seem, Mr Arrow," Amelia smiled. "And not before time, too."  
Chad detached himself from Archimedes and joined them, straightening his hat again. Amelia stood up and saluted him formally.  
"Good morning, commander."  
"And good morning to you, acting lieutenant," Chad acknowledged her. "Report?"  
"I believe the position is secure, sir," Amelia said. "But I regret to report the loss of a number of the ship's company attached to my party. Lance Corporal Flower will be able to provide exact numbers. I'm afraid that Mr Whiting has been injured, and I have promoted Mr Clasp to Acting Petty Officer for the duration."  
Chad nodded. "Understood. And the casualties are expected. Once we found out what that Procyon troopship was carrying, we weren't even sure that there'd be anything left here to come back to."  
"Troopship, sir? Was that the unidentified vessel you pursued out of orbit?"  
"Indeed it was," said Chad. "Slippery devil. Nearly evaded us in the termination shock. But we caught them before they could leave the system and then made our way back as quickly as we could. I'm just glad we didn't arrive too late."  
"Your timing was impeccable, sir," said Amelia.  
"Excellent, excellent." Chad folded his hands behind his back. "And who is this?"  
Amelia realised that he was looking in Jane's direction. "Sorry, sir. This is Miss Jane Porter. Daughter of the colonial governor."  
"Ah. I just met your father, Miss Porter," Chad wrung his hand ruefully. "He's…quite something."  
"He's quite something, sir, yes," Jane smiled.  
"Miss Porter has been invaluable to us, sir," Amelia went on. "I believe that there are many of us who owe her their lives. She has been running the infirmary with Mr Flower, and doing a rather good job of it, too, if I can say so."  
Jane blushed.  
"In that case I'm doubly pleased to meet you, Miss Porter," said Chad. "Captain Forsythe will no doubt also wish to express his thanks."  
"I…look forward to it, commander." Jane glanced sideways at Amelia and smiled. Amelia smiled back. Chad turned to Arrow.  
"And your report, Captain of Marines?"  
Arrow drew himself up and saluted. "I have nothing in particular to add to the lieutenant…I mean, the acting lieutenant's report, sir. However, I regret to advise of the death in action of Sergeant Sackett. Corporal Ko has been acting as my second in his absence."  
"So noted," Chad smiled as he looked back to the infirmary and saw Whiting emerging, his arm around Midshipman Dunn's shoulders. "And I see Mr Whiting is still with us."  
"His service has been exemplary, sir," said Amelia. She saw him smile, and blush slightly when he overheard her words. She chuckled to herself and shook her head. Chad looked around in satisfaction.  
"Very good. I look forward to reading your final report, Ms Amelia. You and Mr Arrow can withdraw your troops from the line. The ship's surgeon is awaiting any casualties, and the longboats are at your disposal." He nodded to her. "And, with compliments, the Captain requires your presence on board at your earliest convenience."  
"Thank you, sir." Amelia turned to Arrow. "Fall in your marines, Mr Arrow. And send my compliments to Mr Clasp. He will bring our spacers to the longboats and prepare to embark the wounded."  
Arrow saluted. "Aye, ma'am."  
"I'll take over here, ma'am," said Buckley. "You go and get ready."  
"I thought you never volunteered, Mr Buckley," Amelia joked.  
He shrugged and pointed to the looming warship overhead. "I'm prepared to make an exception. Besides, I'm not about to be derelict in my duty when the Captain is hovering above me with a loaded broadside."  
Amelia laughed. "A good safety tip if ever there was one. Thank you, Mr Buckley. Miss Porter, would you like to accompany me?"  
Jane smiled, relief bright in her eyes. "I would, lieutenant. Very much so."

* * *

The midday sun was high overhead, but the air still bore an orange tinge from the smoke of the battle. Amelia closed the door of the Captain's day room behind her and stepped out onto the quarterdeck. The timbers of the _Resolute_ felt good under her feet, homely and familiar. Though it had been weeks since she had trod them, it seemed as if she could remember every detail. Every coil of rope, every knot, spoke of home to her. She walked across the boards, listening to the sound of the ship as it hovered in the sun, sails glowing, watching how the battle ensigns fluttered from the tops of the masts. Turning her head, she saw a lone figure leaning on the railings, propped on its elbows and gazing away to the northeast. It was wearing yellow. Amelia made her way over silently, taking up position alongside Jane at what might at a casual glance have seemed like a discreet distance.  
"Jane," she said.  
Jane shook herself and looked around, the expression on her face changing to a welcoming smile. "Amelia...I'm sorry, I didn't hear you coming."  
"I walk quietly," Amelia smiled back. "Am I disturbing you?"  
"No, not at all." Jane stood up and smoothed down her sleeves. "You've just come from seeing the Captain?"  
"Yes...he told me what he told you and your father before, when you came aboard to see him. About having to evacuate." Amelia stepped closer and lowered her voice softly. "Are you all right?"  
Jane nodded. "Oh, yes. I mean, I'm here, which is more than I thought I would be a few weeks ago. And he said that the ship the rest of our people left on made it safely into port, which came as a great relief."  
"I'm pleased to hear it," said Amelia, and meant it.  
"And of course I understand the reasons," Jane went on. "You can't very well leave a handful of helpless civilians alone on this world again when there's a war raging across half the nebula."  
"Something like that," said Amelia quietly.  
Jane gave a small, sad smile. "But still...it's hard to let it go."  
She looked back out over the little colony. Amelia did, too. There was a stark contrast between the regimented, spotless decking beneath her feet, the sense of restrained power the big warship always wore, and the devastation of Naztarville below. The _Resolute_'s guns had saved the town's people, but had done more damage to the town itself in a few short moments than the Procyon siege mortars had achieved with all their bombardment. The hall was the only building still intact. Craters lined the ground. Houses, storage huts and water tanks lay ruptured and blackened all the way to the breached outer wall, which in some places was more a memory than a reality.  
"I'm sorry," said Amelia, taking it in. "I really am."  
Jane shrugged and smiled her sad smile again. "It's not your fault. And we wouldn't be here to have this conversation without you. It's just that...we tried so hard to make it work. To make our homes there. And now we have to leave it behind...and we're leaving so many people behind, too."  
Amelia moved closer still. "You gave it your best, Jane. And it's not because of you that this has to happen. When the war is over, you'll be able to come back again."  
"Yes. Yes, of course." Jane fumbled with her handkerchief.  
"How is your father taking it?"  
"Oh, he's all right," said Jane. "Your Mr Buckley is taking him on a tour of the ship."  
"I'm sure he'll enjoy that," grinned Amelia.  
Jane managed a laugh. "Do you mean my father or Mr Buckley?"  
"I wouldn't dare to comment," Amelia put her head on one side. It was good to see Jane smiling again, properly.  
"And if I may, Jane...it's not totally regrettable that you're stuck on this ship now."  
Jane reached out a hand, brushing Amelia's before she remembered where they were. They both coughed and Amelia put her hands behind her back in the formal style, looking apologetic.  
"No. Not totally regrettable." Jane's blue eyes were shining again.  
"Although I feel I should say sorry for Captain Forsythe's reluctance to abort our patrol to take you to a safe port," Amelia continued. "You're stuck here for at least another month, I'm afraid, until we return to the Fleet's reserve echelon."  
"That's not totally regrettable either," smiled Jane.  
A creak of timber made them look around. Commander Chad had come down from the bridge. Forsythe was now at the console, working with Lieutenant Costell. Chad tipped his hat to the two by the rail.  
"Good afternoon, Miss Porter. Acting Lieutenant."  
"Good afternoon, sir," said Amelia, touching her hat in return.  
"I'm probably not telling you anything you don't know, but the Captain is keen to depart as soon as possible," Chad said. "Miss Porter, is there anything else you'll need from the colony?"  
"No, commander, thank you," said Jane. "I believe we've recovered enough."  
"Good, good." Chad turned to go. "Incidentally, Ms Amelia...I believe there is a lieutenant's birth vacant in the second deck stern?"  
"Yes, sir. It's been cleared and made ready."  
"I think it's about time someone occupied it, don't you?" Chad smiled. "Make preparations to move your kit in there, Ms Amelia."  
"Sir? But I'm only Acting...I won't be confirmed until the end of the patrol, and even then only on the Captain's recommendation."  
"I don't think you need to doubt it," Chad winked. "Now, Miss Porter, as for you. Your father will be occupying the Captain's study for the duration. I'm afraid I was planning to have you move into the Acting Lieutenant's quarters with the Midshipmen, but the ship's surgeon has recommended that the room be temporarily used by Lance Corporal Geranium- I'm sorry, Lance Corporal Flower- so he can keep a closer eye on Mr Whiting's recuperation."  
"That's quite all right, commander," said Jane. "He needs it more than I."  
"And in view of Mr Bock and his colleagues also coming on board, along with the salvage from the town, we're rather pressed for space," Chad shrugged and took on the rueful look of a person asking for something he doesn't really expect to get, his eyes glancing over to Amelia. "In light of that...perhaps Ms Amelia would be willing to share her new cabin with you? Even cut in half, a lieutenant's cabin is rather more comfortable than the midshipman's berth you're used to."  
Amelia tried not to let the sudden skipping of her heart interfere with her professional countenance. "I'd be...ahem, I'd be glad to, sir. I can make arrangements for her belongings to be moved in there. With her consent, of course."  
"Excellent. That's settled, then. You'll be taking your meals in the officers' wardroom as well, Miss Porter. I'm sure Ms Amelia will show you where that is." Chad nodded. "I'll have the sailmaker send a roll of fabric to your new quarters, Acting Lieutenant, so you can put up a partition for dividing the cabin between yourself and Miss Porter. A second bed can be arranged as well. I do apologise to both of you for the imposition, particularly to you, Miss Porter...it's not the welcome Her Imperial Majesty's Navy would choose to extend to a valued guest. It must be rather inconvenient for you. I assure you that the ship's courtesy is at your disposal. Just not in the matter of accommodations at this point in time," he finished ruefully.  
"Oh, no, not at all, goodness, I certainly don't mind, in fact-" Jane's words tumbled out in an excited rush until she caught a glimpse of Amelia's amused expression and sobered up. "I mean, I quite understand the situation, commander. Needs must."  
"Precisely." Chad smiled and bowed slightly. "Your consideration is appreciated, ma'am."  
"All hands to departure stations!" Forsythe's voice roared from the bridge. Chad turned to go as the deck sprang alive with running spacers.  
"Well, back to work," he said. "You're to consider yourself relieved of duty for the remainder of the day, Acting Lieutenant, so if you'd like to take your guest to your lodgings and introduce her to the wardroom? Unless of course you'd prefer to stay and observe the launch, Miss Porter?"  
"I'd like that very much," said Jane.  
"As you wish," Chad touched his hat. "If you'll excuse me, then. Ms Amelia, you know where the bridge is."  
"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." Amelia saluted, but Chad was already moving across the deck, calling out orders. She turned to Jane, and stopped even trying to hide the smile on her face. Jane had already given up. Her blue eyes were singing, and they met Amelia's green ones and saw the sentiment reflected there.  
"Well," she said.  
"Well," Amelia repeated. They stood smiling at each other for a moment until Jane was jostled by a hasty spacer. Amelia took her arm and guided her away, leading her up onto the bridge. Forsythe glanced at her, smiled grimly and touched his hat. Amelia saluted and led Jane behind the line of officers at the railing from where she could see everything that was going on. Arrow, sporting a spotless new uniform, nodded to them respectfully as he took his place at the end of the line.  
"All stations report ready, captain," said Lieutenant Costell.  
"Very good." Forsythe stepped forward. "Commander? Take us up."  
"Aye, sir." Chad cupped his hands around his mouth to shout. "Hands forward to loose the headsails! Hands aloft, loose topsails!"  
He was answered by a bustle of activity. Amelia looked up to see Dunn leading the division in the mizzenmast. Chad looked down to the main deck.  
"Increase power to the grav-turbine, Mr Bryce!"  
"Aye, sir!"  
The sails blazed with energy as they were unfurled. Jane watched the indicators light up down the tall masts and felt a whirring beneath her feet increase. The ship shuddered for a moment as it began shaking off the bounds of gravity.  
"Increase pitch zero five degrees," Chad called to the helmsman.  
"Zero five degrees, aye, sir!"  
"Altitude one hundred feet, sir," said Costell.  
Jane looked over the railing. The ship was rising slowly as the bow pitched up towards the sky. She looked at the small town that had been her home and the focus of her every effort for so long. It already seemed a long way below them.  
"Power to the engines," said Chad. "Take us up! All ahead one quarter! Rig ship for high orbit! Mr Costell, plot a low-consumption egress route to take us out of the system."  
"Aye, sir!"  
Amelia moved next to Jane as they looked down over the stern. The ship seemed to surge as the main engines engaged, lifting it higher and faster. The town shrank beneath them as the ship rose. Jane's hair began blowing around her in the slipstream. The ship passed through a cloudbank, temporarily obscuring them in white mist. When it emerged into the sunshine again, Naztarville could no longer be seen at all. Jane took a deep breath and bowed her head. Amelia's hand slipped around hers and squeezed it reassuringly.  
"Jane?" Amelia watched her face, an expression of concern on her own.  
Jane looked over to her and smiled.  
"I'm all right, Amelia. Truly."  
The ship was already so high that the curvature of the world could be seen. Jane looked again at the receding clouds and took another deep breath, but this time her shoulders set rather than sagged. Naztarville was now in the past. The future now lay before her and she was determined to face it. It was a strange kind of freedom, she realised. An uncertain freedom, but freedom nonetheless. She looked down at Amelia's hand around hers and squeezed it back.  
"Thank you," she whispered. Her words were lost in the slipstream and the subdued thunder of the engines.  
"I'm sorry?" Amelia leaned closer to hear. Jane smiled and shook her head.  
"Never mind. Nothing important."  
Amelia nodded and turned back to face the bows, her hands behind her back again. Jane looked with her and she breathed out again as the blue of the atmosphere began darkening into space. Stars winked into visibility. Jane gazed at them in admiration, her heart beginning to feel as if it was lifting along with the ship. Amelia enjoyed the look on her face as she took in the sight for a long minute, her eyes glowing with wonder as they took in the majesty of space again.  
"So...can I show you to your cabin?" Amelia smiled to her eventually. "Or rather...our cabin?"

* * *

The cabin was small and bare, the walls whitewashed and unadorned. The two beds lay on opposite sides of the room, but there was only a couple of feet at most between them. A roll of old sailcloth lay in the corner, along with a hammer and a box of nails. Amelia held the door open for Jane and then put her duffel bag down on one of the beds. She opened it and began sorting through her belongings, until she looked up again. Jane was standing at the round porthole window, gazing out into space. The _Resolute_ was leaving Naztar far behind, but the angle of departure coincidentally put the world between the ship and the system's sun. An eclipse was formed, a brilliant corona blossoming around the darkened world. Jane watched it in silent awe, the light playing across her face, blotting out the eerie glow of the Lagoon Nebula all around them. Amelia stepped by her side and took her hand again, watching the cosmic display. She turned her head to look at Jane, admiring how the light played across the skin of her face and neck, picking out every smooth, perfect detail.  
"I said I'd show you the etherium one day," she whispered. "Do you remember?"  
Jane sighed and smiled as she felt Amelia's hand wrap around hers again and hold it gently.  
"You did. I do. And I believed you. So this is another promise you've made good on."  
She turned and put her arms around Amelia, head resting on her shoulder, still staring out into space. Amelia held her and smiled.  
"I'm glad that I could. There's going to be so much to show you."  
"I'm looking forward to it already." Jane looked up and smiled at her. Their lips met as the ship turned, breaking the eclipse effect and bringing bright sunlight flooding back through the window. Amelia finished the kiss and nuzzled Jane's forehead, holding her lightly. Jane tilted her head back to rub her nose against Amelia's, making her laugh.  
"Now then, Miss Porter," she smiled, stroking Jane's hair. "I believe I'm to give you a tour of the ship."  
Jane smiled back. "There does seem to be quite a lot to see."  
Amelia put her hat on. "It's a good thing that I have the rest of the day off, then. Shall we get started?"

Jane grinned. "Lead the way, lieutenant."


End file.
